God's Gonna Cut You Down
by Heavenly Azure
Summary: From the moment Rick lays eyes on Diana King, he thinks she looks familiar. Any outsider could understand why a man would want to recognize Diana. She's gorgeous, intelligent, personable...but she's also a serial killer. Corinne Crown was running from the law, wanted for the murder of ten U.S. citizens, until the outbreak offered her a clean slate. SUMMARY CONT. IN PROFILE...
1. Out of The Ashes

**Out of The Ashes**

**Author's Note:** In this story, the group stays on the farm longer than on the TV show. Events may be spaced further apart.

0o0o0

"…I just don't know how I feel about him, Diana." Beth admitted quietly, meeting my eyes in the mirror for a moment before she lowered them again. "You must think I'm a terrible person."

I placed my hands on Beth's shoulders, forcing her to turn around. When her eyes remained on the floor, I tipped her chin up, forcing her to look me in the eye.

"You are not a terrible person." I told her. "The fact that you acknowledge Jimmy's feelings, and that your rejection would make him feel poorly, proves that you are most definitely _not_ a terrible person."

I didn't release Beth until she gave me a smile. I returned hers with one of my own before allowing her to turn back around so that I could finish brushing her hair. The brush had belonged to her mother, Annette. I had been using it to brush Beth's hair for the past two months I had been staying with the Greene family. It was a gorgeous heirloom, silver-plated and engraved with rosebuds. The fact that Beth allowed me to use it, especially after learning how close she had been with Annette, was just another reason I had come to love Beth so.

"You are so beautiful, Beth." I admired her as I ran the brush through her blonde hair.

"I can't believe _you_ can say that." Beth giggled nervously, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

"Why?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at her odd behavior.

Beth raised her eyes to meet mine in the mirror again.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Beth replied softly. "I wish I was half as pretty as you are, Diana."

I should have guessed that was what Beth meant. She had been admiring my physical appearance since the day I arrived. It was something I was used to hearing, but I never held onto any of the compliments I was given. They were not important to me.

"Nonsense." I murmured, setting Annette's brush on the vanity as I chose a hair tie.

I began braiding Beth's hair the same way I did every night. As I was tying it off, the door opened. I saw Maggie standing in the doorway in the mirror. She wore the same stony expression she had given me every day since I had come to live with her and her family. Her arms were folded over her chest. She was closed off from me.

"Beth, you have chores in the morning. You should be in bed." Maggie said.

"Diana was just braiding my hair." Beth replied, turning to glare at her older sister. "I planned on going to bed when she was finished."

"That's okay, Beth, I'm done." I said, not wanting to cause conflict between Maggie and Beth.

"Goodnight, Diana." Beth murmured, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Goodnight, Beth." I replied softly, returning her embrace.

When Beth released me, I headed out of her bedroom. As I walked past Maggie, I could feel the chill of her icy stare. I didn't let her coldness towards me bother me. In fact, I had a lot of respect for Maggie. She sensed something about me that she didn't like, and she stood by her conviction. In some ways, she was absolutely right to feel the way she did about me.

The farmhouse had five bedrooms. I slept in the guest bedroom at the back of the house. Otis and Patricia slept in the guest bedroom at the front of the house. The Greene family slept upstairs. Jimmy had been using the guest bedroom at the back of the house, but after I came along, he gave up his room in a very gentlemanly gesture. Jimmy _was_ a gentleman, but I was fairly sure the real reason he gave up the bedroom was to be closer to Beth. He now slept on a couch located just at the bottom of the stairs leading up to where Beth slept.

It was hot in the Georgian summer, so I stripped naked when I was safe in my bedroom. The AC didn't cool the back of the house as well as the front, so I was forced to sleep with the windows open. The summer heat sifted in through the windows, making my skin break out in a sweat.

I made sure that the bedroom door was locked before I pulled my canvas bag out from underneath the bed. I hadn't looked through it in a while, mostly because Maggie's suspicions kept me on edge. I pulled the large envelope out of my bag, settling in on the bed before I opened it. Inside, there were several smaller envelopes, ten to be exact.

I pulled out the first envelope. It always stirred my emotions more than the others. While I took great pleasure in looking through the contents of the other nine envelopes, it caused me great pain when looking through the contents of the first envelope. I had scrawled the name Corinne Crown across the front of that envelope. It was my real name, my birth name.

The first photo was one of Corinne, the person I used to be. She was just shy of eighteen in the picture, posing for one of her senior portraits. She was young. She was innocent.

I flipped to the next picture. It was one of Corinne and her older sister, Cathy. They had been best friends growing up, despite the age difference. Cathy would come home from college every summer, and she and Corinne would spend every day together until Cathy returned to school. Not even the several hundred miles between them could break their bond.

That all changed when he came into the picture. He would break Cathy and Corinne's bond forever.

I pulled Cathy's obituary out of the envelope. The picture my parents had used was the same one included in the envelope, the one of Cathy and I together. Below her picture, my parents had listed off all of my sister's wonderful qualities, her hopes, dreams, ambitions…ones she would never have the chance to achieve. It was all because of him. He had ended her life, any chance my sister had of reaching all of the goals she had set for herself.

The next photo was his mugshot. His name was Allen Williams, and he murdered my sister. He had always been controlling of my sister, but Cathy always assured me that she could handle him. She did. She broke things off with Allen after he started hitting her.

The day before my eighteenth birthday, the phone rang around eleven that evening. Allen Williams had broken into my sister's apartment off campus. He had beaten her half to death, and then finished the job by strangling her with his bare hands. She was twenty five years old, and just days away from graduating with her BA in social work. She wanted to help battered women and children.

Even though Allen was under arrest for a violent crime, he was allowed to make bail. I was furious, but I was also stupid. In my anger, I drove to Allen's apartment to confront him for what he had done to my sister…

_I waited in my car for any sign of Allen. It was raining outside. I was already wet from running to my car from the house. I stared out the windshield as the wipers worked back and forth, slicking away the rain. I shivered as the AC blew cold air over my damp body._

_ I looked over at my purse in the passenger seat. I could barely see the butt of my father's gun sticking out of it. I quickly leaned over, shoving the gun down into my purse so that it couldn't be seen. I had never used it before. I didn't even know if it was loaded. I didn't care._

_ Suddenly, there he was. Allen was running from out of nowhere, heading up the stairs to his apartment. I saw him disappear through the door. That was my cue. I was going to get a confession. I was going to get revenge._

_ I got out of the car, purse around my shoulder, and headed towards the stairs. I moved slowly, even though the rain was drenching my hair and my clothes. I gripped my purse with one hand, feeling the weight of the gun inside. The gun that I wasn't sure was loaded. I didn't care._

_ When I got to the door, I moved my hand into my purse. I gripped the gun. When I was ready, I knocked loudly on the door. I kept knocking, even when I heard Allen shout from inside the apartment that he was coming. I just kept hitting the door with my fist. The only thing that made me stop was seeing his face the moment the door opened, and I knew he recognized me from court._

_ I lifted the gun out of my purse, holding it in up to his face._

_ "Get inside." I commanded angrily, shivering in the breeze._

_ Allen did as he was told, stepping backward into his apartment. I shut the door behind me, keeping the gun on him as I locked it. When the locks were secure, I turned back around to face him. He was standing on the other side of the room, his hands raised as if surrendering to me. He was staring down the barrel of my father's gun. I had the power._

_ "Sit down." I pointed to the armchair with the gun._

_ "Okay." Allen replied simply, quickly taking a seat._

_ I stood there, dripping wet, my hands shaking around the gun. I wanted to pull the trigger, but I couldn't. I had to get my answers before I could avenge my sister's murder._

_ "Why did you do it?" I asked, trying to steady my hands._

_ Allen just stared at the gun. His mouth didn't even move. He was frozen._

_ "If you don't give me an answer, I swear to God, I'll kill you." I threatened, trying to sound intimidating. "Do you hear me? I will kill you."_

_ "Why don't you put that down?" Allen asked, lowering his hands. "I'll answer your question, but let's just take a minute to calm down. Can you put that down?"_

_ I bounded forward, aiming the gun at Allen's head._

_ "You don't get to tell me what to do." I snapped._

_ "All right, all right." Allen held up his hands again._

_ "I will kill you." I repeated myself, jerking the gun forward in an effort to scare Allen. "What don't you understand about that? I will kill you."_

_ Suddenly, an unsettling grin pulled at the corners of Allen's mouth._

_ "I heard you the first time." Allen replied calmly, slowly getting to his feet._

_ "Sit down!" I shouted, taking a step back as I adjusted my aim._

_ "I don't think you're calling the shots." Allen smirked, pointing a finger at the gun. "You don't even know how to use that, do you?"_

_ "I've used it plenty of times." I lied._

_ "Really?" Allen cocked his head. "Then…why is the safety on?"_

I flipped to the next photo. It was one of my worse shots. I had been so young then, so inexperienced. I had pointed my camera at him and clicked without really taking my time. I learned how to take better pictures over time. In the shot, Allen was lying face down on his apartment floor. Blood was pooling out from underneath him. There were three shots in his back, all three spread out over his torso. I wasn't a great shot then, either. I learned how to shoot better over time.

I remembered it like it was yesterday: me, fumbling with the gun to find the safety and click it off…Allen, reaching out to grab the gun from my trembling hands…me, fighting against his hold…me, slipping on the rainwater that had collected around my feet…then, the gun going off in my hands as I regained my balance…the look on Allen's face after the bullet ripped through his stomach…

Corinne Crown died in that apartment, too. Out of her ashes, I was reborn.

I looked down at the other envelopes: Rachel Glass, Lucy Shepherd, Taylor Vaughn, and so many others who had rid the world of men like Allen Williams. They had all taken down one man each. Then, when they had served their purpose, a new woman was reborn from the ashes of the previous.

I flipped to the last envelope. My second to last alias, Christine Gold, was written across the front. I opened the envelope. There was no mugshot among the photos inside. The man Christine had rid the world of had been a man in power, a deputy. The crimes he had been responsible for committing were never recorded or cataloged. His name was Jesse Walsh.

I stared at the photo of Jesse, dead in his bed. To anyone else, the picture might have looked like a snapshot of a young man sleeping. To me, it was a souvenir of my tenth kill, a picture of a monster that had been put down for the good of mankind.

The coroner had missed the needle mark beneath Jesse's tongue, and ruled the cause of death as natural causes. Though they were shocked, most of Jesse's friends and family accepted the ruling. The only person who immediately caused an uproar was Jesse's older brother, Shane. I never met Shane, but I had seen him from the shadows at Jesse's funeral. They had looked so similar. They could have been twins.

I spent hours looking through my souvenirs. Eventually, I laid back on the bed with envelopes scattered over my body and in my hands.

0o0o0

"Diana?"

I woke with a start to the sound of Beth trying to open the locked door. I realized quickly that I had fallen asleep with all of my envelopes and photos. Beth couldn't see them. She couldn't know who I really was, who I had been.

"Diana, are you okay in there?" Beth asked from the other side of the door.

I leapt into action, collecting the envelopes and shoving them into my bag.

"Just a second, Beth." I replied calmly, kicking my bag under the bed.

I picked the robe up hanging over the rocking chair on my way to the door. I quickly pulled it on before unlocking the door.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Beth said as I opened the door. "You're usually up early-"

"You didn't wake me." I reassured Beth with a smile and a wave of my hand. "I was just lost in my thoughts. I'm sorry I didn't answer you sooner."

Beth's worry melted away, a smile spreading across her young face.

"My daddy is looking for you. He's out in the stables."

"Let him know I'll be right out." I motioned to my robe. "I don't think he wants to see me like this."

"I'll tell him." Beth laughed.

I closed the door so that I could get ready for the day. Since Hershel wanted me, I would have to forgo a shower for the time being. I went to the bureau, opening it to reveal some of Annette's old clothing. Hershel had offered me clothes that belonged to Josephine, his first wife. Maggie had put up a fuss, and even though several items of her clothing were hanging in the bureau at Hershel's insistence, I never wore them. I didn't want to cause Maggie any pain.

I chose one of Annette's long, flowing skirts and a cotton blouse that would allow me to breathe in the scorching heat. I laid them out on the bed while I pulled my bag back out from beneath it. At the bottom of the bag were my weapons of choice. I never started my day without them.

First, there were my steel throwing knives. They were sheathed around my upper left arm, which would be hidden by the blouse. I learned to throw knives in Michigan, where the AKTA was founded. Since I learned, I practiced when I could. The set I had were a gift from my throwing teacher, Mark. Since the outbreak, those knives had saved my life on several occasions. Mark had also given me another gift: a single throwing knife with the capability of breaking through concrete. I kept that knife sheathed around my left thigh. My last set of weapons were two syringes I kept in a small pouch at my waist. Though they weren't filled with any kind of toxin or poison, when used correctly, they could kill.

When I was equipped with my weapons, I got dressed. I didn't want to leave Hershel waiting, so I hurried out of the house and out to the stables without stopping for a bite of Patricia's breakfast.

"Good morning, Hershel." I greeted him as I entered the stables. "Beth said you were looking for me."

"Good morning, Diana." Hershel replied as he stopped what he was doing to talk to me. "I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you."

"Of course." I nodded.

"Jimmy found Edna Mae Clare about two miles north of the farm." Hershel explained. "Otis has already left to hunt for the day, otherwise I would ask him to go…"

"Say no more." I waved my hands. "Jimmy and I worked well together last time."

"My thanks to you, Diana." Hershel gave me a quick smile. "Annette's blouse suits you."

"Oh…thank you." I murmured, touching the soft fabric. "Her clothes are very beautiful. I cannot thank you enough for letting me wear them."

Hershel gave me a single nod.

"Jimmy should be waiting for you by the barn." Hershel said, getting back to work.

I left him alone to meet up with Jimmy. Hershel was a quiet, but kind man. It was very apparent, and had been on my first day, that his second wife's loss was almost more than he could bear. Still, he managed to chug on. I knew that it was his dedication to both of his daughters.

Jimmy was standing a few feet away from the barn, staring, as I approached.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy jumped, turning around to reveal the snare in his hands.

"You startled me." Jimmy admitted, visibly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." I replied. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Jimmy nodded.

Jimmy and I headed north, leaving the safety of the farm behind.

"Who was Edna Mae Clare?" I asked as Jimmy and I walked through the woods.

"She was our church organist." Jimmy replied, glancing over at me. "Our church would have an annual bake sale in the spring, and Ms. Clare would always bake, like, a million peach cobblers."

"That sounds delicious." I said, thinking about a slice of peach cobbler with a scoop of ice cream.

"Shh." Jimmy shooshed me suddenly, crouching down beside me.

I crouched down in the same manner, keeping my eyes peeled for Edna Mae. It didn't take long for me to hear what Jimmy had heard, the sound of rustling leaves and twigs snapping. As the sounds got closer, I also heard faint moaning. It was Edna Mae.

"You distract her." Jimmy whispered, pointing. "I'll go around these trees, catch her by surprise."

"All right." I agreed, getting to my feet.

As Jimmy moved around the trees, I deliberately made as much noise as possible with my feet. I stomped on twigs, kicked a pile of leaves, anything to draw Edna Mae towards me. Eventually, I saw her stagger out from behind a large tree. Her pathetic moaning quickly turned to animalistic hisses as her decaying eyes landed on me. A set of thin, wire rimmed glasses were broken and bent upon her face.

"Come to me, Edna Mae." I said, motioning to her as I took several steps backward.

Edna Mae was glad to oblige. She stumbled after me, her steps becoming quicker.

Suddenly, Jimmy appeared behind Edna Mae. He expertly moved the snare around her thin neck, tightening it immediately so that he could quickly draw his hands away from her. The moment the snare tightened around her neck, Edna Mae's arms began waving wildly as she tried to escape. Jimmy kept his distance on the pole, circling her to the front so that he could lead her back to the farm.

"There's a stump a couple of feet behind you, Jimmy." I warned him, kicking large branches out of his path so that he wouldn't trip or stumble.

"Thanks." Jimmy replied as he stepped over it.

There were no hiccups on the trip back to the farm. When we reached Hershel's property, I went ahead to the chicken coop. Patricia had already bagged an injured chicken for me. All I had to do was scoop it up and head to the barn. By the time I reached it, Jimmy was already waiting at the entrance. I had to unlock the chains and unwrap them so that Jimmy could put Edna Mae inside with the others. There were already a dozen inside. Edna Mae would make it a baker's dozen.

"Ready?" I asked as I unwrapped the chains.

"I'm ready." Jimmy replied, holding Edna Mae back.

I reached into the bag, pulling the chicken out by the neck. I could feel it writhing in my hands. Then, as quickly as I could, I threw open one of the doors. I threw the chicken inside before stepping to the side so that Jimmy could release Edna Mae into the barn.

"Lock it!" Jimmy cried as he rushed back out.

I looped the chains around the handles as Jimmy pressed himself against the doors. When the chains were secure, I locked them. Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief, pulling off his hat to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

"That never gets easier." Jimmy mumbled, returning his hat to his head.

"You did great." I reassured him, setting a hand on his sweaty shoulder.

Jimmy looked up like he was going to say something to me, but his eyes suddenly widened. I turned immediately to see what he was staring at. My eyes fell upon two men. One man was standing on the front porch, the other was standing at the foot of the steps. The only reason I didn't tear across the field, pulling my knives in the process, was because Otis was standing with them.

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked, his shoulder brushing mine.

"I don't know." I murmured, running a hand over the knife strapped to my thigh. "I'm going to find out, though."

Jimmy and I hastened to the farmhouse. I kept my eyes on the two men as we walked. The man who had been standing at the bottom of the steps had joined the man on the porch. Then, suddenly, they were both going into the house. Otis watched them go. His presence was the only thing keeping me calm.

"Otis, what is this?" I asked as Jimmy and I reached the house. "What's happening?"

"I didn't see him…" Otis mumbled, shaking his head. "I swear, I didn't see him…"

"Otis?"

I approached Otis, puzzled by his behavior and the two strangers that were inside the house.

"Jimmy, go inside and make sure Beth is safe." I murmured, keeping my eyes on Otis.

I heard Jimmy head up the steps and into the house. When he was gone, I reached out to Otis. I clasped his arms, trying to break him from the trance he was in.

"Otis, what happened?" I asked softly.

Otis slowly lifted his eyes, meeting mine.

"I…I shot him…" Otis replied. "I shot the boy."

"What?" I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion. "What boy did you shoot? What are you talking about?"

"I was stalking a buck. I shot it." Otis explained, tears welling up in his eyes. "There was a little boy standing on the other side of the buck. The bullet…it went through him…"

I realized what Otis was saying. He had accidentally wounded, or even killed, a boy. The two men who Jimmy and I had seen were obviously the boy's companions. I thought maybe one of them was the boy's father. At the moment, they weren't my concern. My concern was poor, gentle Otis, who was in tears over the guilt of shooting a child.

"Otis, it was an accident." I reassured him comfortingly. "You didn't mean to shoot the poor boy. It was just an accident, a freak accident. It could have happened to anyone."

Otis dried his tears.

"I should go inside, see how he's doing."

I watched Otis head up the steps. As he was approaching the door, Jimmy was already there to open it. When I saw Beth walk out onto the porch, I breathed a sigh of relief. Our eyes met, and she was running down the steps to hug me. She practically ran into me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. I returned her embrace affectionately.

"Are you okay?" I murmured, holding her to me.

"That poor boy…" Beth whimpered in my ear, sniffing as she cried.

"I know, sweetheart." I replied gently, running my hands up and down her back.

Eventually, Beth pulled away from me. Her cheeks were damp with tears she had already cried as fresh ones spilled down her face. She sniffed.

"My daddy is trying to save him, but-"

"I'm sure he's doing everything he can, Beth." I interrupted her, sweeping hair that had gotten stuck to her moist face back behind her shoulders. "Whether or not the boy lives, your daddy will have tried his very best to save him."

Beth nodded.

"Now, why don't you pour some water for your guests, and for Otis?" I suggested with a smile. "You're a terrific hostess."

Beth gave me a small smile, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

I followed Beth into the house, watching her as she headed into the kitchen. When she had gone, I turned my attention to the two men sitting together in the front room. When my eyes fell on them, I froze. It was as if my blood had turned to ice as it moved through my veins. I could feel myself getting colder with every beat of my heart.

Before either of them could acknowledge me, I moved quickly past them to my bedroom in the back. As I locked the door behind me, I realized that my hands were trembling. I tried to make them still, but the cold feeling that had spread throughout my body was too much.

"It can't be…" I whispered, pulling my bag out from under the bed.

With shaking hands, I flipped to the envelope labeled Christine Gold. I opened it, pulling out the pictures. I tossed the ones that didn't matter to the floor. Finally, I came to the photo I was looking for. When I saw it, the blizzard raging inside of me grew stronger.

There, in the picture, were the two men sitting out in the front room. They sat together at Jesse Walsh's funeral. Both men were deputy sheriffs. One of them was the older brother of Jesse Walsh. The second was his best friend. Through the chaos and turbulence that had been unleashed upon the world after the outbreak, they were under the same roof as me. Shane Walsh and Rick Grimes had found me.


	2. Looks Can Be Deceiving

**Looks Can Be Deceiving**

**stefaniewilliams32: **I hope this story is interesting. I think it is, but I hope it's interesting to my readers. You're welcome for the new story. Thank _you_ for the review.

**Guest: **Thank you very much! That's very flattering.

**JustAGirlWithALoveForFiction: **That sounds pretty interesting. I just wanted to try and come up with a plot that hadn't been done before. Beth is very sweet, but even though Diana is a murderer, she would never do anything to hurt Beth intentionally. Diana cares for Beth just as much as Beth cares for her.

**Maddy120296: **Well, vigilantes still get put away for their crimes. Besides, as you come to find out in this chapter, Diana is more concerned with Shane finding out than Rick. After all, Diana did kill Shane's brother.

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you so much!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Thank you very much! I hope it continues to be interesting.

**Leyshla Gisel: **I'm glad. I was worried that it had been done before. Neither Shane nor Rick has recognized Diana. She was hidden at Jesse's funeral. Neither of them has seen her face in person before. However, they have seen her face on paper.

0o0o0

I couldn't stay. That was my immediate thought after confirming that the two men sitting out in the front room were who I thought they were. Though neither of them had seen my face in person, they had surely seen my face on bulletin boards at their station. I was a wanted woman. Before the outbreak, they would have just arrested me. In a world without rules, Shane would surely put a bullet in my brain without a second thought.

I began packing my bag, throwing things in it left and right. As I went to the bureau, seeing Annette's clothing made me stop. I thought about the kindness Hershel had shown me by inviting me to stay under his roof. I thought about how welcoming Otis and Patricia had been. I thought about my bond with Beth, and what she would think or how she would feel if I just up and left. After all that the Greene family and their friends had done for me, blowing out of town without a word would be like a slap in the face to their generosity and kindness.

I sat down on my bed, staring at my bag of secrets. I weighed my options. I could leave before Shane or Rick had the chance to recognize me, but that would mean hurting the people who had housed, clothed, and fed a complete stranger. I could stay, but that could mean the end of my life.

I went to the vanity, studying my face in the mirror. Whenever I moved to a new state, adopted a new name, I always changed my appearance. As Rachel Glass, I had sported a close cropped, pixie cut and green contacts. As Marianne Wilson, I had dyed my hair midnight black. As Christine Gold, I had gone back to my natural hair color, pale blonde, and worn blue contacts.

Christine Gold and Diana King didn't look alike. Diana King had shoulder length, chestnut brown hair. As Diana, I wore no contacts. My eyes were naturally brown. Adorned in Annette's flowing skirts and pastel blouses, it was a far cry from Christine's skintight dresses and Daisy Dukes. Since Christine and Diana looked different from one another, maybe she would go unrecognized by Rick and Shane.

I took comfort in the knowledge that Shane and Rick probably wouldn't be staying very long. If the boy survived, they would only stay until he was well enough to travel. If he died, they would be on their way. Either way, I would only have to avoid Rick and Shane for a few days, at the most a few weeks. Besides, they would be focused on the boy, not on me.

There was a knock at my bedroom door.

"Who is it?" I asked, staying seated on the bed.

"Beth." Beth replied from the other side of the door.

I dropped my bag on the floor, kicking it under the bed so that it would be invisible to her.

"Come in, Beth. The door is open."

"Otis is taking Mr. Walsh to my high school." Beth announced even before the door had opened all of the way. "The little boy, Carl, needs an operation. Otis and Mr. Walsh are going to collect medical supplies my daddy needs to operate on Carl."

I stood up.

"When are they leaving?" I asked.

"As soon as possible." Beth replied, her bottom lip quivering. "I'm afraid for Otis."

I ran a hand over the knives hidden by my blouse sleeve.

"Would it make you feel better if I went with Otis and Shane?" I asked.

"No!" Beth cried, her eyes widening. "It would make me feel worse!"

Beth suddenly crossed the room, throwing her arms around me. She began crying into my shoulder, burying her face into her mother's blouse. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to me as I sat down on the bed, bringing her with me. I rested my head against hers.

"I won't go if you don't want me to, Beth." I murmured against her hair. "I just thought it might make you feel better about Otis leaving if I went with him. If that won't make you feel at ease, I'll stay behind. I'll stay with you."

Beth sniffed as she lifted her head.

"Promise?" Beth asked, wiping away her tears.

"I promise." I replied softly, touching Beth's moist cheek. "Dry your tears."

"I got you wet." Beth suddenly mumbled, touching the fabric of Annette's blouse.

"That's all right." I reassured her, looking down at her tear stains against the pale pink fabric.

"You know, when you wear my mom's clothes…" Beth's hand dropped from her mother's shirt.

"Go on." I urged Beth to finish her statement.

"…you smell like her." Beth said quietly, looking down at her lap. "It's like…it's like she's here…"

I was instantly touched by Beth's admission. I smiled warmly at her, setting a hand on her shoulder so that she would look up at me.

"I'm glad you're here." Beth murmured, meeting my eyes. "I'm glad you found us."

"I'm glad to be here, too." I replied, squeezing Beth's shoulder.

"Can we go and see Otis off?" Beth asked.

"Of course."

Beth and I headed out to the front of the house. Hershel was just heading outside. I could see through the windows that Otis, Patricia, Rick, and Shane were already outside. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that Carl was Rick and Shane's priority. I meant nothing to them.

"Daddy, are they leaving?" Beth asked Hershel as we stepped out onto the front porch.

"Yes, Beth." Hershel answered, glancing at her momentarily. "I have to get them this list."

I watched Hershel dash across the lawn to hand a list over to Shane. Otis and Patricia were embracing at the back of the blue truck. Beth was already making her way over to them.

I slowly came down off the front porch to say goodbye to Otis.

"Otis, please be careful." I said to him as he and Beth pulled away from each other.

"I will. I'll be back before dark." Otis replied.

I hesitated for a moment before hugging Otis. Beth was the only person I was ever physically affectionate with. That didn't mean I wasn't fond of the others. My relationship with Beth was just very different from my relationship with everyone else. I wanted Otis to know that I cared for his safety, but more importantly, I wanted Patricia and Beth to know.

As I stepped away from Otis, I was momentarily startled as Rick came up beside me. He was holding a revolver out to Otis. He wasn't concerned with me.

"That's a fine weapon, Rick." Otis said, taking the revolver from Rick. "I'll bring it back in good shape."

I watched as Otis pulled a shotgun out of the truck bed before casting one last look at Patricia. Shane was already seated in the passenger seat by the time Otis climbed into the truck.

Beth was hugging Patricia, but she was crying. I sidestepped behind them, wrapping my arms around both of them as Otis drove away. I could feel Beth's shoulders quivering, but if Patricia was crying, she was hiding it well.

After a time, Patricia moved out of both Beth's and my arms. She headed into the house.

"Let's check on your boy." Hershel said to Rick, clapping him on the back.

I watched Hershel and Rick head back into the house. With Beth and I standing there alone, something finally dawned on me.

"Beth, where is your sister?" I asked, looking around for Maggie.

"She…she went to collect Mr. Grimes' wife." Beth sniveled, wiping her face off.

"Did Jimmy go with her?"

"He stayed with Carl while the rest of us…said goodbye…" Beth began to cry again.

"Come on, honey, let's get you inside." I murmured, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

I helped Beth inside, setting her up on the couch after she had swallowed an entire glass of water. I sat with Beth's head in my lap, stroking her hair. Eventually, the sniffles died down. I could hear Beth quietly snoring against my thighs. It had been a long day for her. I continued petting her hair, hoping she would sleep for a few hours. She needed rest.

The door to Otis and Patricia's room opened. It was where Carl was. Hershel and Rick emerged. It was the first time I had taken the time to really look at Rick. In the simplest terms, he looked like hell. I guessed that Carl was his son. Rick looked like he had been awake for three days straight. His disheveled hair was wet with grease and sweat. His sickly skin was pale and dewy with perspiration. His shirt was soaked with blood, his son's, I guessed.

"How is he?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake Beth.

"Hanging on." Hershel replied, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Is Beth all right?"

"She's just taking a nap." I murmured, sweeping my hand along Beth's blonde hair.

"Rick, don't wander far." Hershel said, turning towards Rick. "I may need you again."

Rick nodded, his eyes faraway. I watched him wander out onto the front porch. He leaned heavily against the railing.

"Hershel…" I moved to slip out from beneath Beth.

Hershel quickly held Beth's head while I moved from under her. I replaced my lap with a pillow. Hershel laid her head gently back down. I draped a quilt over her body. She hadn't stirred at all.

"I'll go and see if I can do anything for him. Why don't you take a nice shower?" I asked, giving Hershel a small smile. "If anything changes with Carl, I'll let you know immediately."

"I don't know that I should leave the boy." Hershel replied, casting a look at the closed door. "I will, however, get myself something to drink. This heat has me parched."

While Hershel went to the kitchen, I headed out onto the porch after Rick. I had been thinking while sitting with Beth, that I felt sorry for Rick. His son was barely clinging to life, and since Shane had gone to the school, Rick had no support from his friends or family. He was alone, weak from giving blood, and wearing a shirt that was stained with his son's. I pitied him. Besides, Rick had done nothing to me. If it were Shane in his shoes, I might have been less inclined to be helpful or compassionate to him.

"May I take that for you?" I asked, standing off to the side as Rick gazed out over the farm.

Rick's eyes slowly moved in my direction.

"What?" Rick asked slowly, his eyes hollow with the recent tragedy in his life.

"I asked if I could take that for you, your shirt." I motioned to his unbuttoned uniform shirt.

Rick looked down at his shirt. His eyes ran over the blood splattered across the front of it. He slowly looked up at me, his face unchanged.

"I need it…" Rick mumbled.

"Rick, let me wash your shirt." I replied gently, taking a step towards him. "I promise that I'll get it back to you right away."

After a few moments, Rick nodded, but didn't move. I carefully tugged at his shirt, pulling it off of Rick's body as he did little to help me. I finally got it off of him. I folded if over my arm.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" I asked.

"Lori…she's coming…" Rick muttered, looking back out at the farm again.

I assumed Lori was Rick's wife. I hoped Maggie would be bringing her back soon as I went inside to wash Rick's shirt. He hadn't recognized me. He had looked me right in the eye, but didn't remember seeing my face in the paper or on a bulletin board. I tried not to feel too relieved, considering Rick was weak from blood loss and experiencing some kind of breakdown.

I went to wash Rick's shirt, checking on Beth before disappearing into the laundry room.

0o0o0

As sunrise approached, tensions in the house were high. Maggie still hadn't returned with Lori. Otis and Shane had yet to return either.

"I think I should go after Maggie." I told Hershel as he checked Carl's vitals. "She could have gotten lost trying to find Lori, or something could have happened to her."

"Maggie will return." Hershel reassured me.

"I just feel restless." I sighed, leaning against the wall. "Neither you or Patricia can leave Carl's side. Rick is in no condition to travel. Beth…"

Hershel turned to look at me.

"Are you a confident rider?" Hershel asked.

"Beth and Jimmy have been patient with me." I replied, leaning away from the wall. "I might not be able to jump a fence, but I feel capable enough to ride through the woods."

Hershel nodded.

"Have Jimmy take you to the stables." Hershel said, turning back around. "He'll get you set up."

"Thank you, Hershel." I breathed a sigh of relief.

I pulled Jimmy up from Beth's side, anxious to get going. We walked together down to the stables. Jimmy and Beth had been teaching me to saddle, bridle, and ride a horse after learning that I had never been around horses before. I was still a novice, but I didn't expect to be entered into a jumping contest on my ride to retrieve Maggie and Lori.

"You and Suzie have a rapport." Jimmy said, leading her out of her stall.

"We sure do." I replied, petting Suzie's muzzle as Jimmy saddled her.

"Beth's going to be awful sore with you if she wakes up and you're gone." Jimmy told me as he tightened all of the straps. "You better get back sooner rather than later."

"I will." I said, stepping back so that Jimmy could bridle Suzie. "You can apologize to Beth for me if she wakes up before I return."

I climbed onto Suzie's back, taking hold of the reigns as she moved beneath me.

"Be careful, Diana." Jimmy said, looking up at me.

"I will." I promised, leading Suzie out of the stables.

When we were free of the stables, I gave Suzie a good kick. Immediately, she took off galloping towards the treeline. It was still a rush, riding a horse at such high speeds. I gripped the reigns, getting ready to slow Suzie to a canter as we got closer to the trees. At the last moment, I tugged on the reigns. Suzie obeyed quickly, slowing to a canter so that I could guide her better through the woods.

I rode through the woods, urging Suzie to quicken her gait to a gallop or canter, depending on the thickness of the trees. She listened well. She was a horse for beginners.

With the sun threatening to sink within the hour, I tried to ride quickly. I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of Maggie. It was hard to hear anything else over the sound of Suzie's pounding hooves. Even so, I kept my ears open.

Finally, I spotted a group of people moving through the trees, away from me. I knew they weren't infected. They didn't move like zombies. As I approached, they all turned around to look at me. Three of them had their weapons ready to strike. I was looking at a knife, a machete, and the end of a crossbow. Only one of them didn't threaten me with a weapon. She should have. I would have in her position.

I pulled back on the reigns, stopping Suzie in her tracks.

"Who the hell are you?" The man with the crossbow asked with a thick Southern accent.

I dismounted, running a hand over my thigh. I felt my knife beneath my skirt.

"My name is Diana." I replied, looking around at the four faces staring at me. "I'm looking for a woman named Lori, and my friend, Maggie."

The two men and one woman holding up weapons lowered them.

"News flash, your friend already picked her up." The man with the crossbow snapped. "Rode off into the distance like a damn cowgirl."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good." I smiled. "I must have missed them."

"Can you tell us what's going on?" The young Asian man asked. "We're kind of freaked out."

"Absolutely." I nodded. "From what I understand, Rick's son was accidentally shot while a friend of mine was out hunting-"

"What kind of hunter shoots a damn kid?" The Southern man muttered.

"As I said, it was an accident." I replied, ignoring his tone. "My friend was tracking a buck. He didn't see Carl standing on the other side of it."

"Jesus." The Asian man took a step towards me. "Is he all right? Is he going to make it?"

"That I can't answer." I said. "Our doctor is doing all he can for Carl. Shane and the shooter have gone to a nearby high school to retrieve some medical equipment for surgery."

"Excuse me, Diana," the silver haired woman said, "have you by any chance seen a little girl? She has short, blonde hair. She was wearing a blue shirt…"

The woman's voice trailed off as I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see any children." I told her, watching as the woman's face fell.

"What good are you then?" The Southern man grumbled, kicking a pile of leaves.

"Did Maggie give you directions to the farm?" I asked, looking at the Asian man.

"Yeah. We're just heading back to where we're set up." The Asian man pointed with his thumb. "We'll be there later tonight, or tomorrow morning. We haven't decided yet."

"All right." I nodded, reaching for the saddle. "I'll see you later at the farm."

"Wait." The blonde woman spoke up for the first time. "You shouldn't ride back alone. It's going to get dark soon."

"Andrea's right." The Asian man chimed in. "You should come back with us."

"Thank you, but I can't." I replied, climbing up into the saddle. "I promised that I would return."

"What're you gonna do if you run into walkers?" The Southern man snorted. "You ain't got a weapon or nothin'. You probably got tampons or makeup in that purse."

I gave the Southerner a wicked smile, running a hand over my pouch.

"Looks can be deceiving." I replied with a wink.

Then, I was off in the same direction I had come.

0o0o0

It was dark by the time I got back to the farm. I rode directly into the stables, dismounting when I was beneath the roof. As I was guiding Suzie back to her stall to take off her saddle and bridle, a figure moved out of a different stall. Startled, I reached under my sleeve for a knife. Luckily for Maggie, she spoke just seconds before I pulled and threw one.

"What are you doing?" Maggie asked, coming into the light, her arms folded over her chest.

"I just got back." I explained. "I was putting Suzie away."

"My dad told me you volunteered to come and look for me." Maggie replied, lifting an eyebrow. "What's your game? Are you trying to get in everyone's good graces by pretending to care about us?"

"Maggie, I do care about you. All of you." I insisted.

"I'm not buying your act." Maggie shook her head with a chuckle. "Everyone else might be fooled, especially my sister, but I know you aren't who you're pretending to be."

I felt a chill run down my spine, wondering if Maggie had searched my bedroom.

"You're just using my family." Maggie said, taking a step towards me. "You're making nice with everyone, but only so that one day, you can take anything you want from us and leave."

"I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to leave unless I'm asked to leave." I replied firmly.

"Your days here are numbered." Maggie retorted angrily, snatching the reigns from me.

I left Maggie behind to take care of Suzie while I went up to the house. As I got close, I saw Jimmy sitting on the front steps. When he saw me, he got to his feet and went inside. Seconds later, Beth came running out of the house. She nearly took the door off its hinges as she burst through it. I barely had enough time to open my arms to her before she was running into them.

"Diana!" Beth cried into my shoulder, her arms tight around my waist. "You said you wouldn't go! You said you would stay with me!"

"Shh." I ran my hands up and down Beth's back. "Beth, I told you that I wouldn't go with Otis and Shane. I didn't. I went to look for your sister so that I could bring her back to you."

"Maggie can handle herself." Beth argued, her voice muffled in her mother's shirt.

"And I can't?" I laughed, pulling Beth away from me.

"I know you can. I just…" Beth dried her tears. "I just don't want to lose you, Diana."

"I know, sweetheart, but I'm here." I replied, brushing Beth's hair behind her ear. "I'm back. I'm here."

Suddenly, there were headlights shining on the house from behind me. I turned to see a Jeep driving up to the house.

"Diana…" Beth gripped my arm.

"Don't worry, Beth." I reassured her, setting my hand over hers. "It's only the group Rick and Shane were with. They told me that they would be at the house tonight or tomorrow morning."

The Jeep pulled to a stop. When the lights flicked off, I saw that only two people were in the Jeep. The Asian man was in the driver seat. A black man was sitting in the passenger seat. They both got out at the same time.

"Hello, again." I greeted the Asian man. "Where are the others?"

"They're coming tomorrow." The Asian man replied. "I brought T-Dog for medical attention."

I immediately stepped forward, taking T-Dog's bandaged arm into my hand. As I went to pull the bandage back to inspect his wound, he stopped me with a groan.

"It hurts." T-Dog complained.

"The only way I'll be able to help you is if I get a look at your wound." I replied, pulling the bandage back despite his groans.

There was a laceration on his arm. The veins around it were discolored.

"Have you had any antibiotics?" I asked, running my fingers over the veins pressing against the surface of T-Dog's skin.

"I have antibiotics." Glenn said, holding up a bag of prescription bottles. "He already took some."

"That's good." I replied, releasing T-Dog's arm. "I can stitch you up inside."

"You?" T-Dog asked, holding his arm to his chest. "I thought there was a doctor inside."

"There is, but he's busy with Carl."

"No offense…but what do you know about stitching people up?" T-Dog asked.

I held out my left arm for T-Dog and his Asian companion to see. The Asian man shined his flashlight on my arm. There was a scar running from my wrist practically to the elbow. T-Dog let out a low whistle.

"I stitched that up myself." I said, meeting the Asian man's eyes when he looked up at me.

"Okay." T-Dog shrugged. "You convinced me."

"Beth, would you be kind enough to find me a needle, Ethilon, alcohol, and some swabs?" I asked, turning to smile at a nervous looking Beth.

"Sure." Beth replied quietly, hurrying into the house.

"Come inside." I waved for T-Dog and his Asian friend to follow. "I can stitch you up in the dining room."

Beth found everything I needed. She sat at the other end of the dining room table while I swabbed T-Dog's arm with alcohol to kill infection and sterilize the area. He hissed as the alcohol soaked into his wound. His friend, who finally introduced himself as Glenn, sat at his side.

"Are you ready?" I asked, threading the Ethilon through a needle.

"I guess." T-Dog groaned.

I started sewing up the wound. T-Dog hissed and groaned as the needle and threaded went in and out of his skin. He would yelp when I pulled the thread tightly to keep the wound closed.

"So…Diana, are you a nurse?" Glenn asked, watching me sew T-Dog up in awe.

"No." I replied, concentrating on T-Dog's wound.

"How do you know what you're doing then?" T-Dog asked, covering his eyes with his free hand.

"I told you that I stitched myself up before." I looked over at Beth. "Remember the story I told you? How I was a klutz and fell against a mirror?"

"Yeah." Beth nodded, giving me a small smile.

"Yeah, but how'd you know what to do to stitch yourself up?" Glenn asked.

"Well, I never went to college." I explained, sewing through T-Dog's flesh easily. "Instead, I had an Encyclopedia. I studied from those. If I was ever curious about anything in particular, I visited a library. I've studied all kinds of things."

"Wow." Glenn said.

"Are you almost done?" T-Dog asked, peeking through his fingers.

"I will be in a second." I replied, cutting the thread as I finished the stitches. "There."

T-Dog breathed a sigh of relief.

"Beth, why don't you bandage T-Dog's stitches while I make something to eat for everyone?" I suggested, getting up from the table.

"Diana?" Glenn asked as I was about to head into the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"You said something to Daryl earlier, about how looks can be deceiving." Glenn eyed the pouch at my waist. "What did you mean by that?"

"Well, can you keep a secret?" I asked.

"Sure." Glenn shrugged, sitting forward eagerly.

I gave Glenn the same wicked smile I had given the Southerner in the woods before answering.

"I can, too."


	3. Familiarity

**Familiarity**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Yes, she's had ten identities! I was definitely trying to convey a mother-daughter or sister-sister relationship between Diana and Beth. I lean more towards mother-daughter, especially since Diana is a little over 10 years older than Beth (Diana is 29). There will be more Daryl/Diana interaction to come, just not in this chapter.

**ScornedxRose: **I know! Glenn is horrible with keeping secrets, as we've seen before. Here's your update!

**stefaniewilliams32: **Me too! There is more interaction between Diana and the others in this chapter.

0o0o0

Maggie intervened when I started to make dinner for everyone. She was still angry with me for having taken Suzie to look for her and Lori. When Beth saw how mad her sister was, she immediately pulled me upstairs so that I could braid her hair. It was on the early side for her to go to bed, especially after her long nap, but I had a feeling that all of the new people in the house were making Beth feel shy.

"How many more people are coming tomorrow?" Beth asked as I brushed through her hair.

"Well, I thought there were only four left, but that was before I saw T-Dog." I replied. "I'm not exactly sure how many more there are. I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

"I hope there aren't many." Beth murmured, choosing a hair tie for me to use.

"No matter if there are five people or fifty, your family will treat them with the same kindness that you showed to me." I gave Beth a smile when she looked up at me. "Those are the kind of people that you are."

Beth returned my smile, but it quickly melted off her face.

"Diana, why haven't Otis and Mr. Walsh come back?" Beth asked quietly, meeting my eyes in the mirror. "Do you think…?"

I let go of Beth's hair so that I could get down on my knees beside her chair. I took Beth's hands into mine, holding them tightly on her lap.

"I can't answer that question because I don't know the answer." I told her gently. "What I do know is that Patricia is probably worried sick, and that we need to be there for her no matter what happens. That's what you and I should be doing instead of wondering what could have happened."

"You're right." Beth replied. "I just love Otis and Patricia so much…"

"I know you do." I said, letting go of her hands so that I could reach up and stroke her cheek.

I braided Beth's hair in silence. She stared down at the vanity, her fingers tracing circles in the smooth wood. I watched her in the mirror as I moved my fingers through her soft hair. I hoped that Otis was safe. Beth would be heartbroken if he was injured or killed. I didn't want to see Beth in any pain.

Suddenly, there was a commotion downstairs.

"Beth, stay here." I murmured, running a hand over the knife at my thigh. "Lock the door."

"Diana…?"

"Lock the door behind me." I repeated, turning around to give her a stern look.

I stepped outside, listening for the lock. When I heard Beth lock the door, I quickly headed down the stairs. I could see the blue truck through the screen door. Hershel was taking a bag from Shane. Rick, Lori, Maggie, and Glenn were standing around them. T-Dog was standing on the porch. I didn't see Otis.

I walked out onto the porch to stand next to T-Dog.

"Otis?" I heard Hershel ask.

"No…" Shane shook his head, looking down at the ground.

I closed my eyes, cursing the events that lead us to Otis' death. Patricia's face stuck in my mind, hers and Beth's. I could hear Maggie crying quietly. If she would have let me, I would have comforted her. I opened my eyes.

"We say nothing to Patricia, not til after." Hershel said suddenly, looking around at all of our faces. "I need her."

Hershel brushed past T-Dog and I to get back in the house.

Rick and Shane shared an embrace. I could hear Shane mumbling and rambling, but couldn't make out the words coming out of his mouth. I didn't care to hear them. How had he made it back, but Otis, who knew the school, hadn't? How could Shane have let Otis die?

Lori was trying to comfort Maggie, whose cries had quieted. She was strong, even in the face of tragedy.

"Lori, we'll take you back to Carl." Glenn said softly, taking her by the wrist.

T-Dog and Glenn escorted Lori back into the house. Maggie soon followed.

"Do you want to tell Beth, or should I?" I asked quietly as she walked past me.

"You stay away from my sister." Maggie growled.

I nodded. I would let Maggie tell Beth about Otis, but I wasn't going to stay away from Beth. The only way I would leave Beth alone is if she asked me to.

I watched Rick clap Shane on the shoulder. Then, Rick was heading back into the house, leaving Shane and I alone together outside. I looked into the face of the man whose brother I had killed. It still sent a shiver down my spine, how similar Shane and Jesse had looked. It was as if Jesse was back from the dead, sent to torment me for murdering him.

"What?" Shane suddenly snapped weakly.

I glared down at him, remembering fallen Otis and the pain his death caused Patricia and the Greene family.

"I guess we should be really grateful." I replied coolly. "We should all be grateful that you got what you needed and got out of the school safely. It doesn't matter that a good man died trying to make things right. It doesn't matter because _you_ made it."

I pivoted to go back into the house, but paused when I saw Maggie watching through the screen door. Our eyes met. I thought she was going to be angry with me for speaking of Otis, but instead, she gave me a single nod. I watched as she walked away, knowing that we had just exchanged a moment of mutual respect.

0o0o0

That was a sleepless night. Maggie, who had shown me the first shred of kindness since coming to the farm, quickly turned on me after Beth demanded that she send me up to her room. I knew Maggie was jealous that Beth was looking to me for comfort. I didn't blame her. I felt sorry for making Maggie feel like she meant any less to her sister.

After Beth had cried herself to sleep, I slipped downstairs to make myself useful.

Later, after I was in bed, Beth wandered into my bedroom. She climbed into bed with me, tears streaming down her young, tired face. I opened my arms to her so that she could snuggle up to me. She laid her head on my shoulder, inhaling the scent of her mother buried deep within the fabric of the nightgown I was wearing. Eventually, Beth drifted off to sleep once more.

In the morning, I left Beth sleeping in my bed so that I could take my long awaited shower. There was a pile of dark hair sitting in the sink. I collected it in my hands, disposing of it in the wastepaper basket. I knew whose hair it was. I knew because I had run my fingers through hair like that before…

_"Jesse…" I moaned, raking my fingers through his dark, untidy hair._

_ "Mmm, say it again, honey." Jesse grunted into my neck._

_ "Jesse…" I breathed against his hot skin._

_ Jesse's hands were wrapped around my thighs, rubbing himself against me through his underwear._

_ "Mmm, are you ready, Christine?" Jesse asked, pulling away from me._

_ "I was hoping we could do something different." I replied playfully, writhing against Jesse._

_ "Sure, babe." Jesse said, excitement glowing in his eyes._

_ "Good." I said with a smile, moving out from underneath Jesse. "Lay down."_

_ Jesse laid down on the bed, eager to play the game I had in store for him. While he laid there, anticipating my game, I pulled Jesse's handcuffs from his uniform pants. I dangled them in front of his face, and the excitement in his eyes only grew. So did his briefs._

_ "You've been naughty." I told him, handcuffing one of his wrists to the bedpost._

_ "Oh yeah, honey, I'm really naughty." Jesse growled, licking his lips._

_ "Where's your second set?" I asked._

_ "In the drawer." Jesse nodded towards the bedside table._

_ I pulled open the drawer, handcuffing his other wrist to the bed. He was trapped. He was mine._

_ "Now, are you ready?" I asked, straddling Jesse on the bed._

_ "Oh yeah, babe, I'm ready." Jesse replied eagerly._

_ "Okay." I smiled sweetly down at Jesse. "I want you to call me Jennifer."_

_ Jesse's brow furrowed in confusion._

_ "Why?" Jesse asked, moving against his handcuffs._

_ "I want you to call me Jennifer Brown." I repeated myself slowly. "You know, the girl you raped in the backseat of her car last year?"_

_ Jesse jerked against the handcuffs, the excitement in his eyes disappearing._

_ "Knock it off, bitch." Jesse snarled angrily. "This isn't funny."_

_ "I know it isn't." I replied, poking Jesse cutely in the nose as I got off of him. "I never laugh when it comes to rape…or murder."_

_ "I never killed nobody, you fuckin' bitch!" Jesse shouted, fighting against the handcuffs._

_ "Aren't you forgetting Louise Taylor?" I asked, reaching into my bag on the floor._

_ I pulled out the crime scene photos that had been taken at Louise Taylor's scene. I held one up for Jesse to see, who was still struggling to free himself._

_ "Louise Taylor was twenty three when she was murdered." I said, tossing the photo onto the bed. "She, and four other young women, were raped in the backseats of their cars, from behind within the last three years. The only difference is that the rapist put too much of his weight on Louise Taylor. He snapped her neck."_

_ "That doesn't prove nothin', bitch!" Jesse shouted. "Nothin'!"_

_ "I think it does." I argued. "Wendy Martin, Patricia Arden, and Jennifer Brown all reported being pulled over by a squad car. In all of their statements, they say they were blinded by a flashlight beam, then forced into the backseat. They never had the opportunity to see their attacker's face, but all three women remembered smelling Old Spice."_

_ "What does that-"_

_ I smacked Jesse hard in the face, enraging him._

_ "I've been sleeping with you for six months." I snapped. "I've never seen you use any other brand of soap or deodorant other than Old Spice, you pig."_

_ "That's fuckin' circumstantial, whore!" Jesse roared, thrashing on the bed._

_ "All three women were pulled over on your route, Jesse!" I shouted, reaching into my bag._

_ "What're you doing?" Jesse asked, going still so he could watch me._

_ "Your friends at the department buried the evidence against you because you're a deputy." I replied, pulling out my 50mL syringe. "Since they won't make you pay for your crimes, I will."_

"Diana?" Hershel's voice came from the other side of the door as I was towel drying my hair.

I opened the door, standing wrapped in a second towel. Hershel seemed slightly embarrassed, so I pulled the door closed so that only my face was poking out.

"Have you seen Beth?" Hershel asked. "She isn't in her room-"

"She might still be asleep in my bed." I replied casually, continuing when I saw the question in Hershel's eye. "Beth woke up in the middle of the night crying. She came downstairs to sleep with me."

"I see." Hershel nodded. "I hope she wasn't an inconvenience to you-"

"Nonsense." I interrupted, shaking my head. "I was glad she came to me."

Hershel gave me a nod.

"I'm holding a service for Otis within the hour." Hershel said suddenly. "Myself and Patricia would appreciate it if you stood with our family."

"Of course."

Then, he was gone. He was a man of few words, but each one was kind. I had never seen him speak crossly to anyone, other than to occasionally scold one of his daughters or Jimmy. His invitation was touching. I was honored to have it extended to me.

I finished drying my hair before I left the bathroom open to someone else. As I was walking out, having slipped my nightgown back on, I ran right into someone coming up the stairs. Two hands gripped my arms in the collision. I looked up into Rick's face.

"I'm sorry." Rick apologized quickly, releasing me. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I assured Rick, rubbing the back of my neck. "I should apologize. I was lost in my own thoughts."

"I can understand that." Rick replied with a nod. "I'm glad to have run into you."

"Oh?" I quirked an eyebrow, surprised.

"I wasn't myself yesterday…I was lost in my own thoughts…" Rick said slowly, the same faraway look as before glazing over his eyes.

"I completely understand." I said, breaking Rick's trance.

"What I meant is, I never thanked you properly for taking the time to wash my shirt."

"Oh, don't even mention it." I waved my hand. "I gave it to your wife last night. She's lovely."

"Thank you." Rick replied with a surprising smile. "Thank you twice."

Then, suddenly, there was a new look in Rick's eyes. I could feel the icy feeling filling my body as Rick's eyes searched my face. He was studying my features too long and too hard to just be admiring the way I looked. There was familiarity in his eyes. He knew my face.

"I'm sorry…have we met before?" Rick asked, shifting his weight. "I know that's strange to ask, but there's something about your face…you just look so familiar…"

I felt a chill run down my spine, and resisted the urge to shiver. Instead, I smiled.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't recognize you." I replied sweetly. "I think I would have remembered meeting such a darling, little family like yours."

Rick's smile grew.

"Thank you, again." Rick said with a chuckle. "You must look like someone from back home."

"I must." I agreed with a nod. "Well, if you don't mind…?"

"Sure." Rick stepped aside to let me through.

As I was walking past Rick to go downstairs, I felt Rick's hand on my shoulder.

"There's just one more thing." Rick said from behind me.

I turned slowly, pasting a smile back on my face.

"I didn't catch your name." Rick explained, pulling his hand from my shoulder to extend it out.

"Diana." I replied, placing my hand in his. "Diana King."

"It's good to meet you, Diana." Rick said, shaking my hand. "Rick Grimes."

Our handshake ended.

"I know." I told him, keeping my smile strong. "Now, I should change before anyone else sees me like this."

I tried to remain calm as I descended the stairs and headed into my bedroom. Beth had gone, presumably to change for the service. I was glad she had gone. I locked the door behind me, sinking to the floor when the door was secure. I should have felt like I dodged a bullet. Rick only thought I looked familiar. He didn't recognize me. Then why did I feel as though my days on the farm were numbered?


	4. Weird Woman

**Weird Woman**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Yes, Diana will definitely become worried about Rick recognizing her. As for Maggie, she hasn't quite come around yet when it comes to Diana, although they did share a small moment.

**ScornedxRose: **I'm glad you think so! I wonder when/if they will find out…

**Dhalia89: **Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**tigerslilly: **I love Dexter!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Yes, definitely a close call. Shane is such a dick. He would probably argue that killing Otis served a higher purpose. I was so sad when Otis died. He was so sweet.

0o0o0

Glenn was still in shock after the young woman on the horse had ridden up on their group, taking out the walker that was on Andrea, and then scooped Lori up before disappearing just as quickly as she had showed up. He didn't know what to think about it. The girl obviously knew who Lori was. She had used her name, and Carl's. Still, it was a strange turn of events. That all came with the zombie apocalypse, he guessed. Times were tough, and anything, _anything_ was possible.

Andrea wasn't thinking much of anything. She was still somewhat dazed after her encounter with the walker. It had been a close call, certainly her closest call. As she looked into the dead eyes of that walker, all she could think of was Amy. Carol said it earlier that day, about not wanting Sophia to end up like Amy. Andrea didn't want to end up like Amy, either. She wanted to die on her own terms, which didn't involve turning into a monster. It was why she was so angry with Dale for stealing her chance to end her life with dignity. She was stuck in the pit of hell the world had become, without a way to climb out.

Carol's mind had only one thing on it: Sophia. Ever since Rick and Daryl had returned without her, Sophia was the only thing Carol could think about. Carol wondered where her daughter was, if she was alive, if she was safe… She was driving herself crazy thinking of all the horrible things that could have happened to Sophia. Carol knew a thing or two about the evils in life. She had married and had a child with a demon. Carol wondered if Sophia had been safer with Ed than out in the walker infested woods, alone. She couldn't decide.

Daryl was angry. He usually was. He was the only one with his head on straight. Glenn, Andrea, and Carol were all frazzled for their own reasons. Letting their emotions get in the way, especially out in the woods, would get them killed. Daryl was an avid hunter and experienced outdoorsman. He knew how to take care of himself with only the clothes on his back and the crossbow strapped to his back. He knew the others weren't nearly as capable. Without him, they would be walker food. He knew it, and from the way they followed closely behind him, he thought they knew it, too.

"Stop." Daryl said suddenly, hearing the sound of approaching hoofbeats.

"What's up?" Glenn asked, turning around to see what Daryl had seen.

"You don't hear that?" Daryl snorted, shaking his head. "You deaf, Chinatown?"

Glenn rolled his eyes rather than explain for the umpteenth time that he was Korean.

"I don't hear it either." Carol admitted quietly.

"I do." Andrea said, taking several steps forward to stand near Daryl. "That's another horse."

"Did she come back for us?" Glenn asked, peering through the trees.

"She couldn't have gotten Lori to the farm and come back so quickly." Andrea replied.

As the horse galloped into view, Daryl swung his crossbow around to aim it at the rider. He wasn't going to take any chances. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Glenn raise his machete and Andrea pull out her knife. He was glad they were finally being smart. Carol just remained behind them.

Glenn got a good look at the rider as she brought the horse to a stop. It shouldn't have been, but the first thought that crossed his mind was that the Greene family had awesome genes. The young woman from before was definitely cute, and the woman sitting in the saddle in front of them was gorgeous.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked, keeping his aim on the woman.

Daryl kept an eye on her as she climbed down from the saddle. He watched as she swept a hand over her left thigh. It puzzled him.

"My name is Diana." The woman answered in a calm, smooth voice. "I'm looking for a woman named Lori, and my friend, Maggie."

Glenn had a name to put with the cute Greene girl. Maggie. He also learned that Diana was _not_ part of the Greene family. That suddenly made sense to him. Diana looked as though she had traveled back in time to the old West in her long skirt and blouse. Glenn wondered how two beautiful women ended up under the same roof during the zombie apocalypse. He had never been so lucky with girls in his whole life.

Carol studied Diana silently. She was struck by how utterly beautiful Diana was. The way her creamy skin moved against her high cheekbones was elegant and reminiscent of classic actresses like Audrey and Katharine Hepburn. Her slender nose was almost too perfect to be real. Carol suddenly felt self-conscious, and then felt silly for feeling self-conscious. It wasn't a beauty contest.

"News flash, your friend already picked her up." Daryl snapped. "Rode off into the distance like a damn cowgirl."

"Good." Diana smiled, visibly relieved. "I must have missed them."

Glenn didn't understand how Diana could appear so calm, cool, and collected considering the circumstances. He was still reeling over the events that had taken place over the past two days. Then, Glenn remembered that Diana wasn't part of their group. From the sound of it, she lived at the Greene farm. She had been living well.

"Can you tell us what's going on? We're kind of freaked out." Glenn said.

"Absolutely." Diana replied with a nod. "From what I understand, Rick's son was accidentally shot while a friend of mine was out hunting-"

"What kind of hunter shoots a damn kid?" Daryl interrupted.

"As I said, it was an accident." Diana replied, making direct eye contact with Daryl before continuing on. "My friend…"

Daryl looked at the woman. He ran his eyes over her body, looking for a weapon of some kind. Except for the purse at her waist, she was unarmed. Daryl smirked. It sounded like the farm was full of idiots who didn't know what the hell they were doing.

Carol suddenly wondered if, in all of the chaos that morning, anyone had seen Sophia.

"Excuse me, Diana, have you by any chance seen a little girl? She has short, blonde hair. She was wearing a blue shirt…"

Carol's heart sank as Diana shook her head before Carol could finish speaking.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see any children."

"What good are you then?" Daryl grumbled to himself.

Daryl felt prickly and annoyed in Diana's presence. He didn't understand how a woman could ride out into the woods without any kind of weapon, or how she could dress up like she was going to some kind of party when she could get attacked any second. She was an idiot, just like the others.

"Did Maggie give you directions to the farm?" Diana asked Glenn.

"Yeah. We're just heading back to where we're set up. We'll be there later tonight, or tomorrow morning. We haven't decided yet." Glenn replied.

"All right." Diana suddenly reached up towards the saddle. "I'll see you later at the farm."

Andrea remembered her close call with the walker before. Diana had done them a kindness by taking the time to explain what was going on. She didn't want to send Diana away, knowing that more walkers could be stumbling through the woods. The sun was going to be setting soon.

"Wait. You shouldn't ride back alone. It's going to get dark soon." Andrea said.

Glenn was thinking the same thing. He was already worrying about Maggie and Lori, but Maggie had proven that she could handle herself when it came to walkers. Diana was alone and without a knife, a gun, or even a baseball bat. She wouldn't have been able to defend herself unless she trampled a walker with her horse.

"Andrea's right. You should come back with us." Glenn agreed.

"Thank you, but I can't." Diana climbed up onto the saddle without hesitation. "I promised that I would return."

Daryl became even angrier. He was right about the woman. She was a dumbass. She was going to get herself killed.

"What're you gonna do if you run into walkers? You ain't got a weapon or nothin'. You probably got tampons or makeup in that purse." Daryl snapped.

Then, Diana surprised Daryl. She looked him straight in the eye and grinned. She smiled at him like she was thinking of something just as smart as Daryl's remark. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, but before he could speak, she beat him to it.

"Looks can be deceiving."

Then, the woman winked at him. If the smile had caught Daryl off guard, he felt like he had been socked in the gut when Diana's eye quickly closed and opened in his direction. Daryl could feel his face growing hot as Diana rode away from him and the others.

"Okay…which of those was weirder?" Glenn asked after several moments of stunned silence. "Because I'm definitely thinking that one was."

"I'm with you, Glenn." Andrea replied, heading in the direction of the highway.

"I thought Diana seemed very nice." Carol chimed in quietly, remembering her breathtaking face as she ran a hand through her short hair.

"Did you see what she was wearing?" Glenn asked, glancing back at Carol. "I didn't know anyone dressed like that anymore. She looked like something out of my history textbook."

"It wasn't her clothes that I was thinking about." Andrea said, shaking her head. "What do you think she meant by that? 'Looks can be deceiving'?"

"I don't know." Glenn shrugged. "What do you think Daryl?"

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"How the hell should I know?" Daryl muttered.

"Well, I'm guessing her pouch wasn't full of tampons-"

Daryl whirled around, causing Glenn to take a step back.

"Who gives a fuck what that lady had in her goddamn purse?" Daryl snapped angrily. "You shouldn't be thinkin' 'bout that. You should be thinkin' 'bout gettin' back to the highway in one piece."

"He was just asking you a question." Andrea said defensively.

"You should be thinkin' 'bout gettin' back to the highway more than him after your performance." Daryl retorted harshly, glaring at Andrea. "Next time you freeze up like that, you won't be so damn lucky. There ain't a million capable girls ridin' through the woods waitin' to save your ass."

Andrea looked down at the ground. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't be. Daryl was right. She had frozen up at the worst possible moment. She had been lucky when Maggie had ridden up on her and the walker at the last moment.

The group walked back to the highway in silence. Daryl had been thinking about finding Sophia all day, until that woman had ridden up on him and the others. She was all he could think about, and he hated her for it. Though he would have never admitted it out loud, he too was wondering what Diana had meant by her bold statement.

0o0o0

Rick had been in a fog since Carl was shot. He had been going through the motions he was supposed to, but he wasn't all there. He was as dead inside as the walkers he was used to putting down and running from. He did what Hershel told him to without question. He had no mind of his own while he hovered at his son's bedside. He had no mind at all.

It wasn't until Hershel announced that the surgery was successful that the fog cleared. For the first time in twenty four hours, Rick was alive. He could feel his stomach empty with hunger. He could feel the relief flooding through his body. He even smiled. For at least one more day, his son would be all right. Carl was alive, thereby breathing life into Rick's body.

When he came to his senses, he realized what a mess he was. Hershel was kind enough to allow him to take a shower. Rick left his wife with their son to clean himself up. He could almost feel each individual speck of dirt clinging to his clothes and skin.

As he was heading towards the bathroom, Rick suddenly collided with someone. Instinctively, he reached out to steady whoever he had run into. He looked down into the eyes of the woman who had kindly taken his bloodied shirt from him the day before. He had been in the thick of the fog, too lost in the gray mist to function properly when the woman requested his shirt.

"I'm sorry." Rick apologized, letting go of the woman. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." The woman replied in a calm, cool voice. "I should apologize. I was lost in my own thoughts."

Rick understood. He had been trapped in a perpetual haze for the past day. He could have run into a brick wall the day before and he wouldn't have realized.

"I can understand that."

Rick remembered the woman's kind gesture, and his lack of gratitude.

"I'm glad to have run into you." Rick said.

"Oh?" The woman raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't myself yesterday…I was lost in my own thoughts…"

Rick remembered his son, lying on the ground, unconscious. He remembered feeling the weight of his son's body as he carried him to the farm, his only son's blood soaking right through his shirt.

"I completely understand." The woman responded, as though she truly understood.

"What I meant is, I never thanked you properly for taking the time to wash my shirt." Rick replied.

"Oh, don't even mention it. I gave it to your wife last night. She's lovely."

"Thank you." Rick smiled. "Thank you twice."

Rick was overcome with happiness. When he got out of the hospital, his top priority was finding Lori and Carl. After he was reunited with them, Rick had a new priority. That priority was to keep his family safe. He had been trying to do just that since finding them, but it was a challenge every minute of every day. There were millions of walkers waiting to take his family from him, but finding the farm gave Rick hope. Hershel and his family seemed untouched by the events that had taken place months before. They had been so kind and gracious since Rick had run through their fields with his dying son. The woman in front of him was no different.

As Rick looked at the woman's face, he suddenly became struck with the notion that he knew her. He wasn't sure if it was his memory from the day before, or if it was a memory from before the outbreak. The lines of her face seemed to form into a familiar shape that Rick knew from somewhere. He couldn't put his finger on any of those lines. He couldn't trace them back to their point of origin.

"I'm sorry…have we met before? I know that's strange to ask, but there's something about your face…you just look so familiar…"

The woman suddenly smiled up at Rick.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't recognize you. I think I would have remembered meeting such a darling, little family like yours." The woman replied, never breaking her smile.

Rick tried to place her, but as he looked into her brown eyes, the feeling of familiarity withered away.

"Thank you, again." Rick chuckled. "You must look like someone from back home."

"I must." The woman sighed, but still never broke her smile. "Well, if you don't mind…?"

Rick realized that the woman was in her nightgown, and that he still needed to shower before they held Otis' service.

"Sure."

Rick watched the woman as she moved passed him. It suddenly dawned on him that in the five or ten minutes they had spoken, they hadn't exchanged names. He felt rude again, and reached out to stop the woman before she could disappear.

"There's just one more thing." Rick said.

The woman slowly turned, still smiling like before.

"I didn't catch your name." Rick explained, politely holding his hand out to the woman.

"Diana." The woman firmly shook Rick's hand. "Diana King."

0o0o0

Daryl stood under the shade of the trees during Otis' service. He felt awkward. He'd never met Otis before. He didn't even know what the guy looked like. All he knew was that he'd shot Carl, then got himself killed trying to make it right. He would have been alive if he wouldn't have been a bad hunter. That was how Daryl felt, or at least how he allowed himself to feel. He wanted to get out looking for Sophia, but the girl wasn't going to get found while he was standing around pretending to be sad about some guy he didn't even know.

Daryl looked up at the Greene family. Hershel was praying. Otis' widow was crying. Maggie was comforting Otis' widow. Diana was standing with the young Greene girl, her arm around her shoulders. The young girl was crying. Daryl realized that Diana was tall for a woman, not taller than the men, but still tall. She seemed bigger standing with the young Greene girl.

Daryl suddenly thought about what Glenn had said. As much as he didn't want to, Daryl had to agree with Glenn. Diana _did_ look like something out of a history textbook. She was wearing another long skirt, a green one, and a white blouse. Daryl stifled a snort. Where had Diana found those clothes? Did she dress that way before the outbreak? His eyes fell on the pouch at her waist. He wondered what was inside, and why Diana had smiled and winked at him when he referred to it.

Diana looked up from the ground, catching Daryl's eyes. He immediately looked away, suddenly wondering how long he had been looking at the woman. He casually glanced around, hoping that the service would be over soon. He wanted to get out and cover some ground. He was feeling restless.

The moment Hershel was through with preaching, Daryl was ready to get going. As he was getting ready to regroup with Rick and the others, Daryl caught Diana's eyes again. Even though he caught her looking, she didn't look away. It was strange. _She_ was strange. Daryl was the one to break eye contact, feeling his face growing hot as he turned his back on the weird woman to come up with a plan to find Sophia.


	5. The Well

**The Well**

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you. That was my goal, for there to be a different view of Diana. Here's your update!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Glenn was taken by Diana's beauty because, well, he's a young man. Look how quickly he took to Maggie. As for Carol, I see her as a weak person with a lack of self-confidence or self-respect. She was an easy choice to use as a window for readers into Diana's physical appearance. I want you guys to be able to picture her in your minds. As for the rest of them, it isn't her beauty that has them talking about Diana. It's the air about her, her attitude, the way she carries herself. She is a mystery to them.

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Of course! I would stare at him for days. Hahaha. Here's your update!

0o0o0

I stood with Beth during the service for Otis. She was quietly crying while her father read from the bible. Rick and Shane's group stood on the opposite side of Hershel, most of their heads bowed reverently. The Southerner, whom Glenn had called Daryl, seemed restless. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes scanning the ground. It was bothering me. Everyone else was paying their respect to Otis and his widow, but Daryl was giving off the impression that he would rather be anywhere else than there at that moment.

The group consisted of ten people, a blended family. There was Rick, Lori, and Carl. They seemed to be the only real family in the group. I was still feeling funny about Rick thinking he knew my face. Even though he didn't seem to be thinking on it too hard, he hadn't looked my way once during the service, I still wondered if it would click for him eventually. Lori was inside with Carl. She seemed nice enough. We had spoken briefly when I delivered Rick's shirt to her. She had thanked me, asked my name. I expressed my regret over what had happened with her son. She thanked me again. That was that.

Then there was Carol, who seemed to be missing a daughter or a niece. She seemed very solemn during Otis' service, and I guessed that she was thinking of the missing child. She stared at the ground during the service, sniffing quietly as though she were crying or trying not to. She looked like a frail woman, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the missing girl at all. She was the only one the day before who hadn't raised a weapon to me. I still think she made a mistake in not doing so.

Glenn and T-Dog were visibly close. They stood together while Hershel read aloud. I could feel the friendly bond between them, so much so that I wouldn't have been surprised to learn that they were friends even before the outbreak. There was definitely an age gap. Glenn looked no older than twenty, though he could have been a few years hiding behind a youthful face. T-Dog was most certainly in his early to mid thirties. Even so, the two men obviously shared a special friendship apart from the others.

I was confused by Andrea, but more so by her relationship with the oldest member of the group, a man called Dale. He had tried to stand with Andrea at the beginning of the service. When he placed his hand on her shoulder, she had moved away from him. Dale didn't follow her. I wondered if they were father and daughter, or possibly even uncle and niece. The older man seemed to want to get close to Andrea. He looked at her several times during the service. She avoided his eye contact. I wondered what had happened between them to sever whatever bond they might have shared.

Then there was Shane, whom I still wanted to tear into and avoid simultaneously. He was dressed in a set of Otis' clothes, his head shaved after his spur of the moment haircut the night before. As I ran my eyes over his freshly shaved head, I honed in on a fresh scar along his scalp. It was almost a C shape, pink and irritated. It puzzled me, and I suddenly wondered if it had anything to do with his haircut. I didn't see how the wound could have happened during the shave. It didn't look like a cut from a razor. It looked more like a larger version of an infected hair follicle. I usually got them on my legs when my razor pulled hairs harshly from my skin. That was when it dawned on me: a section of Shane's hair had been pulled from his head. I became even more suspicious that the story Shane told wasn't accurate. Something had happened at that school, something that Shane wasn't sharing with the rest of us.

Shane's eyes met mine, and I quickly looked away from him. I wanted to hold his gaze, show him that I wasn't going to buy his story at face value like the others. I wanted him to know that I knew something about him stunk, but I also didn't want him to recognize my face. Remaining under the radar was more important than intimidating Shane, at least for the moment.

When I changed my scenery, I discovered Daryl was looking at me. He did the same as I had, when I caught him looking, he quickly looked away. I wondered why he had been staring at me, but then I knew. He was curious about me. He was confused by my behavior the day before. I could tell because it was the same look Glenn had given me while I had stitched T-Dog's arm.

Though Daryl refused to look at me, I studied him. He was handsome in a rugged, blue collar way. Though his face was streaked with dirt that had run down his face with sweat, it almost made me appreciate how hard Daryl must have worked to keep himself and the others alive. The muscles in his arms moved visibly under his skin, proof of what was already apparent: that he was strong. He had to be to wield a crossbow, which was strapped to his back. He seemed like the kind of man who never left home without it.

As the service ended, and everyone dispersed, Daryl lifted his eyes to meet mine. Through the grit and dirt stuck to his face, his blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin. The truth was, though the man had annoyed me throughout the service, I liked looking at him. I didn't care if he noticed or not. I wasn't ashamed. I was a twenty-nine-year-old woman, and if I wanted to admire a good looking man, I was going to.

Daryl quickly looked away from me again, setting off to wherever he had been so eager to get to.

"Diana?"

I looked down at Beth, who was looking up at me.

"What is it?" I asked, pulling her to me.

"What should we do?" Beth asked quietly. "Daddy and Maggie are going over maps with Mr. Grimes-"

"His name is Rick, honey, and I don't think he would mind if you called him that." I interrupted with a smile.

"It just feels so strange." Beth replied. "We barely know these people, but they're going to be with us for a while until little Carl heals…"

"I know, but that should only be a few weeks at the most." I reassured Beth, keeping my arm around her as I guided her towards the house. "Why don't you keep Patricia company while I make something for us to eat?"

Beth paused to look at me strangely.

"You?" Beth asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Hey." I replied with a laugh, squeezing her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm sorry." Beth giggled with a smile. "You usually don't cook."

"You're right." I agreed, opening the door to the house. "Maybe you should supervise?"

"I'll check on Patricia, then I'll be right in." Beth replied, giving me a smile before she headed towards Otis and Patricia's bedroom.

I went into the kitchen to start lunch. I pulled out the leftover chicken from two days before, slicing it up to make chicken salad. When I was nearly finished, Beth returned from checking in on Patricia.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's resting." Beth murmured, her eyes shining with tears. "I feel so bad…"

I stopped what I was doing so that I could comfort Beth. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I know that you feel bad." I said softly. "You have a big heart, Beth Greene."

When Beth felt better, I resumed what I was doing. Beth helped me as I threw everything together in a bowl to make chicken salad. While I was incorporating everything, she suddenly paused.

"What?" I asked, glancing up from the large bowl.

"I was just thinking…maybe we should make some sandwiches for the others…" Beth said in a small voice, looking at me out of the corner of her eye.

I smiled.

"See? You have a big heart."

"You think it's a good idea?" Beth asked slowly, turning to face me.

"I think you are a very gracious young woman." I replied.

Beth and I assembled the sandwiches. They were thin since I had to portion out the chicken salad for more people. Beth was pleased, though, which was what mattered to me. She was smiling while I put all of the sandwiches into a basket.

"Well, here you are." I told her, handing over the basket.

"Wait…you aren't coming with me…?" Beth asked suddenly, her eyes widening.

"It was your idea, I thought you would want to pass out the sandwiches." I replied.

"I will, but I thought you would help me…" Beth looked down at the floor.

I set a hand on Beth's shoulder. She looked up at me, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"I'll help you, Beth." I reassured her.

0o0o0

Later that day, I was sitting with Beth out on the front porch when Maggie stomped up towards the house. She was frowning. I figured she wasn't happy that I was sitting with her sister.

"There's a problem at one of the wells." Maggie muttered, standing at the bottom of the steps with her hands on her hips. "We could use all the help we can get."

"Of course." I said immediately, getting to my feet.

When Beth stood, Maggie shook her head.

"Not you, Beth. You stay here." Maggie instructed her sister.

"You said all the help you could get." Beth argued, mimicking her sister's stance.

"What exactly is going on?" I asked, not rushing to pass judgment.

Maggie sighed heavily.

"There's a walker in one of the wells." Maggie explained. "We need to get out without contaminating the water."

"The water is probably already contaminated." I replied.

Maggie's brow furrowed, her frown deepened.

"Are you going to help or not?" Maggie asked.

Maggie, Beth, and I headed out to the well. Maggie had Beth under strict orders to do everything she was told and nothing else. Beth held my hand as we walked out to meet the others. Glenn, Lori, T-Dog, Andrea, Shane, and Dale were already at the well. They had formed a circle around it, all looking down at the zombie that was trapped at the bottom.

"Stay here." Maggie commanded her sister about ten feet back from the well.

I let go of Beth's hand to inspect the zombie in the well.

"Looks like we've got us a swimmer." Dale was saying as I walked up, his flashlight aimed at the bloated zombie hissing at the bottom of the well.

"How long do you think it's been down there?" Glenn asked.

"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea replied gravely. "We can't leave it in there."

"We got to get it out." Shane agreed.

The group argued over how to deal with the zombie.

"Guys, the reality of the situation is that the water is probably already contaminated." I spoke up amidst the arguments. "Shooting it isn't going to make it any worse than it already is."

"Well, I ain't taking any chances." Shane replied, meeting my eyes from across the well. "I'll get a rope."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Maggie glanced back at Maggie. "Guys, no."

"Why not?" Glenn asked. "It's a good plan."

"It's a stupid plan." Andrea replied. "Diana's right. The water from this well is no good anymore."

"Maybe." Shane argued. "Maybe not."

"So, we have to bring it out of the well?" T-Dog asked.

"So to speak."

"How do we do that?"

"Hang on a second there." I interrupted their conversation, holding up a hand. "I don't know who you think you are, but this isn't your property. This farm belongs to Hershel Greene."

Shane raised a thick eyebrow.

"This isn't your decision." I said.

"Hershel ain't here." Shane replied, putting one foot up on the well as if to claim it.

"No, but two of his daughters are." I said, nodding at Maggie. "She has more of a right to make this decision than you do. It's her call."

All eyes swung over to Maggie, who was staring down at the ground.

"Well?" Shane asked impatiently. "What's it gonna be?"

Maggie sighed before looking back up at Shane.

"How do you want to do this?" Maggie asked.

Shane looked right at me with a smirk on his face as if to say, 'ha-ha'. I wanted to throw my knife at him.

Fifteen minutes later, the group had lowered a canned ham on a hook to the zombie.

"He's not going for it." Dale announced, looking down into the well.

"Maybe 'cause a canned ham don't kick and scream when you try to eat it." Shane replied, swinging the ham around.

"He's right. There's a reason the dead didn't come back to life and start raiding our cupboards." Lori agreed, looking up from the well.

"We need live bait." Andrea said.

I immediately looked back at Beth, knowing she would be an easy target for the job. I gave her a smile to soothe the worry lines on her face. Over my dead body would they lower my Beth into the well as live bait. I would end them all.

"Okay." Glenn said, capturing my attention. "I'll do it."

I breathed a sigh of relief that Beth's name hadn't come up.

"All right, while I get Glenn ready, ya'll need to get ready on the rope." Shane said, bringing the ham back up so that he could prepare Glenn. "I need everyone on the rope, lightest to heaviest."

Beth moved to the front of the line, but I grabbed her wrist.

"No, Beth." I told her. "You aren't getting that close to the well."

"Shane said lightest to heaviest." Beth replied innocently. "I don't want to mess it up."

"You don't need to be on the rope at all." I told her. "Stand off to the side and be our cheerleader."

"Okay." Beth nodded.

Lori stood at the front of the line, held onto the rope behind her with Andrea at my rear. Finally, Dale and T-Dog took the back of the rope. When Shane had Glenn's rope secure, he joined the men at the back. Maggie looked down into the well. Then, we were lowering Glenn down.

"You doing okay?" Maggie asked almost immediately.

"Yeah, doing great." I heard Glenn reply.

I could tell by the way Maggie looked down at Glenn that she cared for him. They had barely spoken over the course of the past day, but something was going on between them. I felt bad that Maggie was having to watch as the boy she liked was lowered into a well where a zombie waited for him at the bottom.

Then, suddenly, the pump the rope was tied to broke loose. The rope slackened, followed almost immediately by Glenn's screams. I held fast to the rope, feeling it burn against my skin. Glenn's screams only fueled my fire to keep hold of the rope. I wouldn't let the poor kid die because certain members of his group had poor judgment. I was disappointed in Maggie's decision as well.

The pump was suddenly pulled towards the well. The men broke free from behind us, diving for the pump before it could fall into the well. We all ended up on the ground as we held fast, trying to get Glenn out of the well before the zombie could get at him. As we fought to get him up, I could hear Beth screaming close by.

Then, we were pulling. We slowly got to our feet as a group, pulling the rope as Glenn begged us to get him out of the well. Shane went into overdrive, pulling the rope like a madman on a mission. With all of our combined power, we pulled Glenn up and out of the well. He collapsed on the ground. I let go of the rope, looking down at the burns on my hands.

"Diana!" Beth cried, running to me.

Beth jumped on me, her arms tight around my waist. I returned her embrace, shooshing her gently as I tried to reassure her that I was all right. From over Beth's shoulder, I saw Maggie watching us. She was clenching her jaw, but when she saw me looking at her, she opened her mouth. She squinted at me as her lips formed a smirk.

"Back to the drawing board." Shane said, his hands on his knees.

Beth and I let go of each other as she settled down.

"Says you." Glenn replied suddenly, getting up from the ground.

Glenn handed the rope off to Dale before walking away. I could tell immediately that the zombie was on the other end by the way it tugged in Dale's hands. He followed it to the well.

"All right, guys, let's pull this sucker up." Shane said, waving his arm. "Everyone on the rope."

"Diana…" Beth caught my rope burned hand.

"Beth, I'll be fine." I reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze through the sting.

"Beth, will you do the honors of being our eyes?" Shane asked as he grabbed the rope from the back.

Maggie joined us on the rope while Beth looked into the well as we pulled the zombie up. It was much heavier with Glenn. I pulled with all of my strength, feeling the rope rub against the burns on the inside of my hands.

"Here it comes." Beth announced, leaning over as the zombie's head appeared.

As we pulled the zombie up, its torso visible, it began flailing its arms. One of his swollen, decaying arms reached out in Beth's direction. Before she had the chance to lean away from it, the zombie had grabbed a fistful of her beautiful hair. She began screaming, visibly trying to pull away from it.

"Beth!" I reactively screamed from deep down in my gut.

Before anyone could react before me, or stop me, I let go of the rope. I hiked up Annette's green skirt, revealing the throwing knife at my thigh. I released it from its sheath, taking aim at the bloated zombie threatening my Beth. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to get away. Without another thought, I threw my knife at the zombie. It pierced easily through its head, lodging in its brain instead of traveling out the other side. Its movement ceased.

I became aware of the commotion being made around me. Before, it had been muted. I didn't care about any of them as I made my way to Beth, who was squirming as she tried to get away from the zombie.

"It's all right, Beth." I told her loudly, grabbing the zombie's fingers. "It's all right."

"Get…it…off…me…Diana!" Beth cried, sobbing openly in horror.

I bent the zombie's fingers back, peeling them away from Beth's hair. It was stained with blood. Her face and neck were sprayed with blood.

"Beth, keep your mouth closed." I told her sternly, not wanting any of the blood to find its way inside of her mouth and infect her. "Keep your mouth closed until we get you cleaned up."

It felt like hours, but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Maggie was quickly running up on Beth and I as she tried to pull her sister away from the dead zombie and the well. Beth fought against her, slapping Maggie away with open hands. Maggie leaned away from Beth, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Beth, let's get you into the house." I murmured, gently pulling her to her feet.

Beth was shaking as I put my arm around her waist. I took one of her limp arms, wrapping it around my neck. When I did, she leaned on me heavily.

"I can take _my_ sister up to _my_ house." Maggie snapped suddenly, glaring at me.

"I don't want you to." Beth replied quietly, but adamantly, against my shoulder.

"Keep your mouth closed." I told Beth before looking up at Maggie. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"What?" Maggie asked, bewildered.

"You let your feelings about me cloud your judgment in making that decision." I replied calmly, nodding at the well. "You made the wrong call to spite me, because you knew where I stood on the matter. In doing so, you lost sight of what was truly important: your sister."

Maggie opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but her lips closed again.

"Let's get you into a hot bath, Beth." I murmured, taking Beth away from the well.

0o0o0

Beth was reclined in a hot bath, her hair and skin clean from the events before. Her head rested against the tub, her eyes closed. She had calmed down significantly, especially after she was clean. She had asked me to stay with her, so I had. I was seated on the toilet, a towel folded over my lap. I still hadn't changed out of Annette's clothes, which were also stained with blood.

"Diana?" Beth asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" I looked at her face, her eyes open and looking up at me.

"Thank you." Beth replied quietly. "Thank you for saving my life."

I gave her a smile, and nodded. Beth returned my smile before closing her eyes in contentment.

Beth's words echoed in my head. They made me think of Jennifer Brown…

_I left the apartment quickly so as not to be seen. There were few apartments in that building, so it wasn't hard to evade other tenants or guests. I was able to leave the premise without running into anyone. When I was safely out, I crossed the street to the bus stop. A pay phone stood a few feet away from the lonely bench. I picked up the phone, depositing quarters into the slot._

_ "Hello?" Jennifer's voice asked as she picked up the phone._

_ "It's done." I replied simply, looking over my shoulder. "It's over."_

_ I heard a sniffle._

_ "Thank you, Christine." Jennifer said, her voice quivering. "Thank you for saving my life."_

_ "You're free now." I told her softly. "Go and buy that land, start a horse farm, and live your life."_

_ Without another word, I hung up the phone. Christine's life was over. It was time for a new woman's life to begin. Her name was Diana King, and she had work to do._


	6. Sized Up

**Sized Up**

**ScornedxRose: **I'm so glad! Here's your update!

**Rebel29: **This is a DarylxOC story.

**Leyshla Gisel: **Yes, she did!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **We'll see what happens with Maggie and Diana. Here's your update!

0o0o0

As I was sitting on the porch later that day, Shane left camp to come up to the house. He was clutching something in his hand. When he got closer, I realized that he had my throwing knife. In all of the commotion earlier, I had been so focused on Beth that I had forgotten to retrieve the knife. I slowly got to my feet as he stopped beneath the steps.

"I got this for you before the walker split and fell back into the well." Shane said, holding out the knife to me. "I cleaned it off for you."

I was puzzled by Shane's behavior. He was being kind considering what had happened between us since he came into my life. I wondered why he had taken the time to clean my knife, but took it from his outstretched hand anyways.

"Thank you." I replied, looking down at my knife.

"I guess we all underestimated you." Shane said, meeting my eyes as I looked up at him. "I guess _I _underestimated you."

"All right."

I didn't know what to say to him. I peeled back my skirt to put my knife away. As I pulled the skirt up to reveal the inside of my thigh, I caught the look in Shane's eye. I understood. He wasn't extending an olive branch because he was impressed by what I had done before. He was lusting after me. He had the same primal look in his eyes as Jesse had when we met for the first time.

I stopped to think about the events that had unfolded over the past few days. I was starting to think that everything had happened for a reason. Maybe Shane had stumbled into my life because Diana King's mission was being made clear: she was the one who was supposed to take Shane out. Shane obviously had something to do with Otis' death. If he was anything like his brother, I could bet my life on that. Shane was interested in Diana. He wanted her, just like Jesse wanted Christine.

I slowly moved down the steps towards Shane. The look in his eyes only intensified the closer I came to him. I could practically feel the primal urge building inside of him. He wanted to lay me out on those steps, push himself into me, and drive into me hard and fast without a thought cast in the direction of camp. If getting close to Shane would bring me closer to figuring out just what had happened at the school, then I would do it. Diana would do it.

I reached out, grabbing a fistful of Otis' shirt on Shane's body. I pulled him closer, leaning up to catch his mouth with mine. I pressed my open lips to his, dipping my tongue into his mouth. I breathed hot air into his mouth as I kissed him. His eyes were closed, reveling in the lustful kiss I was giving him. Mine were open, watching him. I was giving him what he wanted, but only because I wanted something from him in return. I was giving him the kiss of death.

When I pulled away, I let go of his shirt.

"Thank you." I breathed from deep in my throat.

Then, I left him at the bottom of the steps to go and rinse my mouth out.

0o0o0

That night, Beth slept in my bed again. She had woken from a nightmare about the zombie, except in her dream, she didn't get away from it. We laid in bed together for a while just talking to get her mind off of what had happened.

"You were right today…about Maggie." Beth said suddenly, amidst our lighthearted conversation. "She only chose to do what the others wanted because of you."

"Your sister is only trying to protect you, and in her attempt to do that, she let how she feels about me cloud her judgment. I doubt she will let that happen again after what happened today." I replied, not wanting to come between Beth and her older sister.

"Why do you make excuses for her?" Beth asked, turning on her side to face me. "I mean, I think it's nice of you, but I just wondered…because Maggie _really_ doesn't like you."

"I know." I agreed, also turning on my side towards her. "I respect your sister. She's doing what she thinks she needs to protect her family, even if that means alienating an outsider."

Beth smiled and shook her head.

"You aren't an outsider."

I returned Beth's smile.

"Thank you." I murmured, reaching out to touch the braid falling over her shoulder.

"It just doesn't make sense." Beth sighed, her smile fading. "Maggie has been very kind to Rick and his people, but she still doesn't like you. Why? Why doesn't my sister like you?"

If I didn't know Beth, I would have been alarmed by her questions. Instead, I remained calm, and answered as honestly as I could without revealing my past.

"Maybe your sister senses something in me that she doesn't like." I suggested.

"What?" Beth asked, shrugging her shoulders. "What could she sense in you? You've been nothing but kind and wonderful to us. You've helped my daddy with…you've done all sorts of things."

"All that matters to me is that _you_ accept me." I replied, letting go of her braid to touch Beth's cheek. "Your sister will come around if she wants to, and if she doesn't, I won't treat her any differently."

"I love you, Diana." Beth said, smiling at me.

I was surprised. Beth had never told me that before. It made my breath catch in my throat.

"You…you do?" I whispered.

"I really do." Beth replied, scooting closer to me. "I love you."

I felt the sting of tears in my eyes. I couldn't help but think of Cathy. She and I used to lie in her bed together all the time when she was home from school. We would talk all night about boys, friends, our hopes and our dreams… Lying with Beth made me feel like for the first time in years, I had someone special in my life again.

"I love you too, Beth." I murmured, touching her shoulder before pulling my hand away.

Beth drifted off to sleep, tired after her encounter with the zombie and our late night talk. As easily as sleep came for her, it didn't come to me. I laid awake for an hour before I decided to get out of bed so that my restlessness wouldn't wake Beth.

I slipped on a shawl over my nightgown before padding out on bare feet into the house. Jimmy was snoring lightly on the couch, his mouth ajar. I paused to adjust his quilt. He stirred slightly, kicking the quilt off entirely after I had fixed it. I shook my head as I quietly slipped into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. There wasn't much of it left, but I knew Hershel wouldn't mind. The only coffee drinkers in the house had been Otis and Patricia.

When I had a mug of hot coffee, I went out onto the front porch. The campsite was quiet. Everyone was asleep in their tents. The only sound I could hear was Jimmy snoring inside, the gentle breeze, and the crickets chirping in the grass. It was peaceful, but inside I was in turmoil.

The group was looking for Carol's daughter, Sophia, who had gone missing the day before Carl was shot. It sounded as though they were going to stay until they found her, and especially until Carl was well enough to travel. I didn't know how long that would be, but since Maggie had taken a liking to the group, especially Glenn, their stay might be extended. That was both good and bad news to me. It was good news because that gave me more time to uncover the truth about Otis and exact justice. It was bad news because that gave Rick and Shane more of an ample opportunity to recognize me.

I had reasons to stay. Hershel had been so generous in allowing me to stay with his family. Otis, Patricia, Jimmy, and Beth had all welcomed me warmly. Beth had taken to me as I had taken to her. I felt an instinct deep in my bones to look out for her and protect her. It was a need. If I left the farm, I would never feel complete without knowing if Beth was all right.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Without hesitation, I allowed the mug to fall to the floor as I reached into my sleeve for my three throwing knives. I purposely fell to the floor, spinning over onto my back with my knives ready to throw. That was when I saw who had snuck up on me. It was the dirty Southerner, Daryl, with his crossbow aimed at me.

We stared at each other for a long time in the starlit darkness. Finally, Daryl visibly relaxed. He lowered his crossbow, his rigid posture dissipating.

"What in the hell are you doing?" I hissed, keeping my knives aimed at Daryl.

"Well, I _was_ tryin' to prove a point, but…you kinda…" Daryl's voice trailed off.

"Kind of what?" I asked warily.

Daryl casually leaned against the railing. He looked out over the campsite.

"You kinda surprised me." Daryl finally said, looking back down at me.

"_I_ surprised _you_?" I asked, getting to my feet with no help from Daryl. "_You_ snuck up on _me_."

"Yeah." Daryl nodded. "'Cause I thought you wasn't armed."

I was confused.

"What?" I asked, throwing my free hand out in frustration.

Daryl sighed, like my questions were annoying him.

"I guess that's what you meant by what you said." Daryl said, looking back out at the tents.

"What was that?" I asked, pointing to where Daryl had been standing. "Was that your idea of a test or something?"

"What's that?" Daryl asked suddenly, pointing at the mug of spilled coffee.

"It was coffee." I replied, feeling as though I was starring in an episode of The Twilight Zone. "Can we get back to-"

"Is there anymore?" Daryl asked, visibly perking up. "I haven't had coffee since all this went down."

I decided to appease Daryl with a cup of coffee. I thought the gesture might make him more inclined to explain to me why he had just come up behind me with his crossbow aimed at my head.

"I'll be right back." I muttered, picking up the fallen mug before going into the house.

I went inside to make Daryl a cup of coffee, but was half convinced that he wouldn't even be on the front porch when I returned. I thought he might disappear in a puff of smoke after what had just taken place between us, and at three in the morning as well. I was kicking myself for having not just staying in bed with Beth, who was probably sleeping comfortably while I was avoiding an arrow in the back of my skull.

When I went back out onto the porch, Daryl was waiting where I had left him.

"Here." I mumbled, forcing the mug into his hands.

Without showing me any kind of thanks or gratitude, he gulped down most of the coffee.

"So…are you going to tell me why you came up on me like that?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

Daryl looked at me, but his eyes lowered to my body. He squinted, his brow wrinkling.

"Why do you dress like that?" Daryl asked, scrutinizing me with his gaze.

"What?" I asked, looking down at Annette's nightgown.

"What're you tryin' out for _Little House On The Prairie_?" Daryl snorted, drinking more coffee.

I lifted an eyebrow, my eyes roaming over Daryl's choice of clothing.

"When 'all this went down', as you put it, I didn't think to pack a bag full of fashion forward clothing. I was more concerned with arming myself with weapons and protecting myself against the hordes of zombies-"

"Walkers." Daryl interrupted.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Walkers." Daryl set his mug down loudly on the railing. "We call 'em walkers."

"I don't care-"

"You know how to use them things?" Daryl asked, nodding at my sleeve.

I felt my head spinning from our conversation.

"Of course I know how to use them." I replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "I'm not an imbecile."

Daryl snorted, a sudden grin coming to his face as he chuckled quietly.

"What?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips as I looked up at Daryl's face. "You think I _am_ an imbecile?"

"Naw." Daryl shook his head, his chuckles going silent. "I don't think you're an idiot."

Before I could reply in any form or fashion, Daryl was heading down the steps.

"I like my coffee black." Daryl said as he walked away from me, lifting his hand to give me a single wave.

I watched him go as he climbed the ladder up to the roof of the RV. He was on guard.

I didn't know what to think of what had just happened. It was odd, and it was too late for shenanigans of that nature. I tried to decipher Daryl's words as I picked up his coffee mug to take with me into the house. By the time I reached the kitchen, I was sure I had figured it out. I was almost one hundred percent positive that Daryl had been sizing me up, and I was pretty certain that he decided that he liked me.


	7. Intruder

**Intruder**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Really? I was never into Shane, especially after he buzzed his hair off. You're right about Daryl. He thought he was going to catch Diana off guard.

**ScornedxRose: **Hahaha. Yes! Thank you, and here's your update!

0o0o0

I was cleaning up breakfast when Jimmy joined me in the kitchen. I looked up from the dishes to see who it was, and gave Jimmy a quick smile before looking back down at the sink full of sudsy water.

"Can I get you something, Jimmy?" I asked, scrubbing out the skillet.

I heard Jimmy pull out one of the stools at the island, then I heard him sigh. I glanced back at him. He was staring at the floor, his hat sitting on the island. He looked solemn. Jimmy was always a fairly serious young man, but there was a difference between the usual stoic look on his face and the deep frown creasing his face at the moment.

"Jimmy?" I wiped my hands off on the apron tied around my waist. "Jimmy, what is it?"

Jimmy fumbled with his hands.

"I'm thinking about leaving." Jimmy mumbled, still staring down at the floor.

"What?" I asked, setting my hands on the island. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't think Beth wants to see me anymore." Jimmy slowly looked up at me. "You know what I mean? I don't think she wants to _see_ me anymore."

"I understand." I murmured, looking down at my hands. "Did she tell you that?"

"Not exactly, but…" Jimmy glanced back down at the floor. "I can tell…things are different…"

I rounded the island, grabbing Jimmy's chin in my hand. I held his face up so that he would be forced to look up at me.

"You listen to me, Jimmy, and you listen good." I told him sternly. "You are not to leave this farm, do you understand me? You will _not_ leave this farm."

Jimmy's facial expression didn't change.

"What would your parents want for you, Jimmy?" I asked, my voice softening as Jimmy's eyes filled with tears. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that they would want you to be safe, and right now, Hershel Greene's farm is the safest place for you."

Jimmy cleared his throat as he tried to swallow his tears.

"So, are we clear?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jimmy nodded in my hand.

"Yes, ma'am." Jimmy replied quietly.

I let go of Jimmy's face.

"It's just so hard, Diana." Jimmy said as I returned to the sink. "I need to get away from her, but there's nowhere for me to go…"

"Why don't you ask Rick or Shane if you can help look for Sophia, the little girl?" I suggested, scrubbing the skillet. "That would get you out in the woods for a few hours every day."

"Hershel would never let me." Jimmy replied.

"You'll never know until you ask." I said, turning around to look at Jimmy. "The worst he can do is say no. So why don't you just ask him?"

"Okay." Jimmy nodded, getting up. "Thanks, Diana."

"Jimmy, if you go out in those woods and you don't come back, I'll come looking for you." I threatened, holding the scrub brush in his direction. "You won't like what happens if I find you."

Jimmy's frown suddenly became what little of a smile I had seen from him.

0o0o0

Later, while I was doing some of Beth's laundry, Maggie came and found me. I hadn't spoken to her since the incident at the well.

"Maggie, I wanted to talk to you-"

"Someone stole one of my dad's horses." Maggie interrupted quietly, her arms folded over her chest.

"What?" I asked, throwing Beth's shirt into the washer.

"It was one of them." Maggie nodded out towards the front of the house, and I knew who she meant.

"Are you sure it wasn't Jimmy?" I asked, shutting the washer. "He mentioned earlier that he was thinking of offering his services to Rick or Shane."

"It's Nelly that's missing." Maggie replied.

"Nervous Nelly." I muttered.

"He would have never taken her." Maggie said, leaning against the doorpost.

"Okay, so what should we do?" I asked.

"Rick's wife and Carol want to make dinner for all of us tonight. I promised that I would help them before I knew one of the horses was taken." Maggie looked away from me. "I was hoping you could take one of the horses out, find whoever took Nelly."

I was surprised that Maggie was coming to me for help, but I wasn't going to blow my chance to prove myself to her by hesitating.

"I can do that." I replied quickly. "I'll take Suzie."

"Well…you can't go in _that_." Maggie said, motioning to my usual blouse and skirt.

"I wore something similar the day I rode out after you."

"Just…come with me." Maggie muttered, waving for me to follow her.

I followed Maggie upstairs to her bedroom. I had never been inside before. It looked very similar to Beth's bedroom. While Maggie rummaged through her closet, I studied the photos on her dresser. There was a picture of a woman I had never seen before holding a small girl.

"Is this your mother?" I asked, pointing to the picture.

Maggie poked her head out of the closet. When she saw the photo I was pointing at, she nodded.

"She was beautiful." I murmured, studying the picture more closely.

"Here." Maggie emerged from the closet, clothes folded over her arm. "You can borrow these."

Again, I was dumbfounded by Maggie's gesture. I wondered why she was reaching out to me, why she was sharing her clothes with me suddenly.

"Thank you." I replied, taking the clothes from her.

"Well…I'll meet you out at the stables to see you off." Maggie said, leaving me to change in her room without another word.

I left Annette's skirt and blouse folded on Maggie's bed. Maggie had given me a pair of brown stirrup pants, complete with leather grips to make riding easier. Along with the pants, Maggie had selected a plain, white T-shirt for me to wear. Since I was taller than Maggie, the shirt rode up higher than it would have on her. I was just grateful to Maggie for lending me clothes more appropriate for riding.

I used Maggie's vanity to plait my hair into two braids to keep it out of my face. While I braided my hair, I noticed that the short sleeves revealed the knives at my arm. The outline of the knife at my thigh could easily be seen through the tight stirrup pants. The syringes hidden in the pouch at my waist were still a mystery to everyone.

When I was ready, I left the house to meet Maggie.

"Diana!"

I turned to see Glenn jogging up to me, grinning.

"What happened to you, Annie Oakley?" Glenn asked.

"What?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"You ditched the Old West look." Glenn replied, motioning to my new outfit.

"Just for today." I smiled. "I'm going after the horse thief."

"Horse thief?" Glenn asked, his forehead creasing. "What are you talking about?"

"One of the horses is missing."

"Well, yeah, Daryl said he was going to ask Hershel's permission…" Glenn shook his head. "He didn't ask, did he?"

"No, and now I know who I'm looking for." I replied, heading towards the stables.

"Well, wait!" Glenn called after me.

I stopped, waiting for Glenn to catch up to me again.

"Do you want me to go look for him instead?" Glenn asked. "I wouldn't mind."

"That's okay." I said. "I think it would be better for me to go. One of yours already took a horse without Hershel's permission. I don't think he would want another one of you taking a second one just yet. Besides, Maggie asked me to go."

"What's up with that?" Glenn asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "She doesn't seem to like you all that much."

"Oh?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Has Maggie been talking to you about me?"

Glenn immediately began to blush.

"Uh…no." Glenn stammered. "No…no…she didn't say anything to me…"

"Glenn, you're a terrible liar."

With that, I left him behind for good to get out to the woods. By the time I got down to the stables, Maggie had already gotten Suzie ready for me. I left without a word said between the two of us. I knew that later we would have to have a conversation about her sudden change towards me, especially since she had obviously made her feelings clear to Glenn.

I rode through the woods, looking for any sign of Nelly or Daryl. I didn't hear or see anything for a long time, but then, I saw Nelly grazing off to the side of a dirt path in the middle of the woods. I immediately pulled back on the reigns and dismounted in practically the same motion.

"Daryl?" I asked, looking around for any sign of the horse thief. "Daryl?"

I slowly walked up to Nelly, snatching her reigns before she could have a chance to bolt.

"Where is he, girl?" I murmured, stroking her muzzle.

I tied Nelly up to Suzie, making sure that the knots were secure. Then, I led them on foot along the dirt path. I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of Daryl, wondering why he and Nelly weren't together. I kept remembering Nelly's nickname and the reason behind it. I began to think that something terrible might have happened to separate Daryl and Nelly. I kept my guard up.

I followed the path until I came to a ridge. I didn't want to risk spooking Nelly, so I tied both horses up to a nearby tree to keep them in place. When they were set, I approached the ridge. There was a killer drop to the bottom where silt met water. I peered through the foliage, trying to see if Daryl was below. As I circled the ridge, my eyes fell upon a body lying in the silt. It didn't appear to be moving. It had to be Daryl.

"Daryl!" I called out, my voice echoing below.

The body remained motionless.

"Daryl!" I shouted again, cupping my hands around my mouth.

I thought I saw the foot move, but I couldn't be sure. I squinted, watching the body carefully.

"Daryl!" I called. "Daryl, it's Diana!"

Suddenly, a second body broke through the foliage below. It was a walker, and it was heading straight for Daryl.

"Daryl!" I shouted. "Daryl, get up!"

The walker paused for a moment when I shouted, but then it continued towards Daryl. The walker knew that he was easy prey. It was going to have to work to get at me.

"Hey!" I yelled, picking up sticks and rocks to throw down the ridge. "Hey!"

I threw rocks and sticks down, hoping that my shouting would distract the walker while Daryl came to his senses. I wasn't even sure that he was still alive.

The walker finally descended on Daryl, grabbing at his feet. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get it away from Daryl by yelling and throwing things at it. I was going to have to throw my knives. I just hoped that Daryl would be able to retrieve them for me. It would be impossible for me to safely get down to where he was to retrieve them myself.

I pulled my three knives, laying stomach down on the ground. I leaned over the ridge, taking aim at the walker pulling at Daryl's feet and legs. When I thought I had a decent shot, I let one knife fly. I watched as it sailed through the air, but it flew right past the walker's head. It was close enough to get its attention. It paused, looking behind it to search for what had just whizzed past its ear. Then, it was back to handling Daryl.

I tried a second time, breathing out slowly before throwing my knife. Luckily for both Daryl and myself, my second try was successful. The knife pierced the walker through the head, sending it flying backward. The commotion was enough to rouse Daryl, whose legs began kicking violently.

"Daryl!" I shouted, getting up off the ground.

Then, standing, I saw that a second walker was suddenly entering the enclosure below.

"Daryl!" I yelled. "Daryl, look out!"

Daryl was still on the ground, but I knew he saw the walker. He began pulling at himself, and that was when I noticed that an arrow had pierced him through the side. He was trying to free the arrow to use to kill the walker. I didn't know if he would be able to in time, so I laid back down to throw my third knife if I needed to. I kept my knife on the walker as it stumbled closer and closer to Daryl.

"Come on." I muttered, watching as Daryl pulled the arrow from his flesh.

Daryl still had to load his crossbow, which would take a moment. I didn't know if he had that time, but before I could take my shot, Daryl was taking his. His arrow hit its target, and the walker fell to the ground. Daryl laid back on the ground.

"Daryl!" I called out to him, getting up once again. "Daryl, are you all right?!"

"I'm just fuckin' peachy!" Daryl yelled back, breathing heavily.

I grinned, sheathing my third knife.

"I'm going to toss a rope down!" I shouted, heading back to the horses.

"I don't need a goddamn rope!" Daryl shouted back.

I unraveled the length of rope, swinging it over my head. I let it fly, watching as it landed amidst the leaves and dirt. Daryl would have to climb up a good length of the ridge on his own, but he would have help on his last leg of the journey. I kept hold of my end of the rope.

"Get my knives!" I shouted, watching as Daryl pulled his arrow from the walker's head.

Daryl looked down at the walker I had killed. He looked back up at me.

"Damn!" Daryl yelled, bending down to retrieve my knife. "I guess you _do_ know how to use these!"

I watched as Daryl picked up the first knife I had thrown.

"Sort of, anyways!" Daryl shouted, looking back up at me.

"Hey, I could have just left you to die, you know?!" I called out.

"I could have handled it!" Daryl yelled, starting the climb. "Now, shut up!"

I knew he was right. There could have been more walkers in the woods, and all we were doing was attracting them to us. I watched as Daryl struggled to make the climb. The closer he came to reaching the top, the more I could see that he was injured. His side, which he had wrapped, was bleeding. So was his head. There were probably more injuries that I just couldn't see.

When Daryl got close to the rope, he kept climbing without it.

"Grab the rope!" I yelled, pointing to the rope just behind him.

"I told you I don't need it!" Daryl shouted back tiredly.

"Daryl, grab the rope!" I yelled, cupping one hand over my mouth. "Grab it before I come down there after you, horse thief!"

I could see Daryl's mouth moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying. He reached behind him, grabbing the rope from off the ground. He used it to pull himself up the rest of the way.

"Come on." I said encouragingly, holding out one hand. "You're almost there."

Daryl huffed and puffed up to me, his hand swinging out to catch mine. I held onto his clammy hand, pulling him up the rest of the way. When his feet touched the ground above the ridge, he collapsed. He pressed his back to a tree, trying to catch his breath. Sweat was pouring off him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, crouching down beside him.

Daryl opened one eye to glare at me.

"Do I look okay?" Daryl mumbled.

"No, but I wasn't sure if you needed immediate medical assistance." I replied.

"I'll be all right." Daryl sighed, closing both his eyes again. "Damn."

"What happened to you?" I asked, settling down on the ground while Daryl cooled down.

"That damn horse…" Daryl shook his head. "It got spooked by a damn snake, bucked me off."

"What were you thinking taking a horse you knew nothing about, _and_ without permission?" I asked. "The horse you took is called Nelly. She's very skittish-"

"Understatement." Daryl scoffed, opening his eyes to look at me.

"Hershel would have given you a different horse to ride." I said.

"What's done is done." Daryl shrugged, moving as if he was trying to get up.

"Let me help you." I said, getting to my feet so that I could help Daryl to his.

I extended my hand to Daryl, which he accepted. I pulled him to his feet. Daryl groaned as he moved to his feet, his body visibly beaten and bruised. I knew he must have been in pain.

"Now, we don't want Nelly to buck you off again." I said, untying the horses from the tree. "You'll have to ride behind me."

"No, _you_ can ride behind _me_." Daryl argued.

I turned to give Daryl a smile before climbing into the saddle.

"I don't think so." I replied, patting the seat behind me.

Daryl rolled his eyes, but he climbed on behind me without any more fuss.

"My knives." I said, holding out my hand.

I waited to feel the knives in my hand, but instead, felt Daryl tugging at the sheath around my arm. I turned my head to watch as he carefully slipped both knives into place. His dirty hands left streaks along my skin and the white T-shirt. I turned my head even more to meet Daryl's eyes.

"Thanks." Daryl mumbled, pulling his hands from my sheath. "For what you did, I mean…"

"Don't mention it." I murmured, turning back around. "Hold on if you need to."

I started at a trot, knowing that the ride was probably going to cause Daryl even more pain than he was already in. I knew I needed to get him back to the farm pronto, so after a few minutes, I eased Suzie into a canter. When her pace quickened, I felt one of Daryl's hands brush against my back. I thought he was going to hold onto me, but then his hand disappeared.

I didn't know if Daryl was being modest or proud, but I didn't have time for his games. Without looking away from the woods ahead of me, I reached around me for Daryl's hand. I pulled it around me, resting it on my thigh. That way, he had a hold on me should he slip or feel weak. Though he didn't pull his hand away, he also didn't grip me like he should have. His hand lay flat against my thigh the rest of the way back to the farm.

0o0o0

While Hershel patched Daryl up, I went to my bedroom to change out of the clothes Maggie had lent me so that I could wash them. From the moment I stepped into my room, I knew that something was off. The air in the room felt different. That was when I saw the bureau doors ajar. I was always very careful about keeping them closed to keep Annette's clothing safe from moths. I knew someone had been in my bedroom while I was gone.

I immediately got down on all fours, crawling towards the bed. My bag was still where it was before, but that didn't mean someone hadn't gone through it. I pulled my bag out, my hands shaking as I opened it up. Nothing seemed out of place. The folder was sealed up tight. When I opened it to check the envelopes, none of them were missing. Everything seemed in order, but that didn't settle my nerves. Someone had been searching through my things, and I had no idea who it was.

I changed out of Maggie's clothes and back into a set of Annette's clothes. Then, I took Maggie's clothes to the laundry room to wash and dry. I tried not to think about the intruder, but it was hard to think about anything else.

At dinner, with everyone sitting around the table, I looked at the faces of the suspects. There was Rick, who could have suddenly remembered who I was. I watched him while he ate, studying him carefully for any sign that he knew my secret. The man never glanced in my direction.

Then, there was Shane. I stared at him while he ate, wondering if it could have been him who was suspicious of me. As I was staring at him, he suddenly lifted his eyes. I didn't look away. I was searching him for any sign of disgust or rage. Instead, Shane gave me a quick smile and a wink before returning to his meal. He still wanted me, but he could have been playing the same game as I was.

I kept one eye on Shane for the rest of the evening. If he wanted to play, then I would play.


	8. Allies

**Allies**

**Maddy120296: **I know. I most definitely agree.

**Leyshla Gisel: **Hey, to each their own. You can have him. I just want Daryl. Hahaha. You'll find out who was in Diana's bedroom later.

**ScornedxRose: **We'll see…

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **You'll find out later. Here's your update!

**Guest: **You'll find out later who went through Diana's things. I never did like Shane, from the first moment he was introduced. I could never get behind him or root for him. Yes, Daryl is so stubborn!

**Wolflihood: **You'll find out if your guess is right later.

0o0o0

"You should have told me that you were going." Beth said as I completed our nightly ritual. "I was really worried about you."

"I know." I agreed, setting my hands on Beth's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to help your sister and I wasn't thinking. Next time, I'll be sure to let you know when I leave the farm."

I watched Beth's expression in the mirror as I started to braid her hair. After a moment, her lips turned up into a smile. She met my eyes in the mirror, and I smiled back. Just like that, I was forgiven.

"What did you do today while I was gone?" I asked.

"Well, there were chores to be done." Beth sighed, leaning against the vanity. "Jimmy got into trouble with my daddy-"

"Trouble?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"He went out to look for Carol's daughter without asking permission to leave." Beth replied.

I shook my head as I tied off Beth's braid.

"I told him to ask your father's permission before he offered his services to the group." I mumbled.

"My daddy was pretty upset with him."

"I can understand that." I murmured, wrapping my arms around Beth's shoulders. "I really _am_ sorry for running off without talking to you first. You know I never want to hurt you or make you worry."

Beth set her hands on my arms. She leaned into me, pressing her cheek against mine.

"I know." Beth replied. "You were just trying to help out."

I pressed a kiss to Beth's forehead before I pulled away from her.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." I told her as I headed for the door.

"Goodnight, Diana." Beth replied, turning her head to give me a smile.

I left Beth to begin my investigation. Shane digging around in my bedroom only increased my desire to get to the bottom of what had happened between him and Otis. There was only one way I was going to get Shane, and I wasn't going to like it. I never did.

I went to my bedroom first. There, I freshened up. I ran a brush through my hair, still wavy from having been in braids for the better part of a day. I squirted perfume, Annette's, onto my wrists and my neck, rubbing the rose scent into my skin. There was no makeup for me to put on, so I was making do with what little I had. I also worked with Annette's clothing. I unbuttoned my blouse just enough so that my bra was barely visible. All of her skirts were practically floor length, so I chose one and put it on.

I decided to leave my pouch behind. I shoved it inside one of the pillows on the bed. I kept the knives at my arm and thigh. There was no use in disarming myself if Shane knew about the knives. Besides, I didn't know if I might need one or all of them.

When I was ready, I headed out to the kitchen. Luckily for me, everyone in the house was in their bedrooms and Jimmy was asleep on the couch. I didn't have to answer any questions regarding my appearance or the rose fragrance surrounding me. In any case, I hurriedly made a cup of coffee for Shane.

Outside, I could easily make out his figure on the top of the RV. He was on guard.

With the mug in my hand, I carefully climbed the ladder to the roof of the RV. Shane already had his head turned to see who was coming up to the roof. I could see his grin lighting up the darkness as he saw that it was me. He turned completely around to face me.

"What are you doing up here?" Shane asked as I made my way across the roof to him.

"I thought you might like a cup of coffee." I replied, settling down next to him.

"Wow." Shane took the mug from me. "Thanks."

I watched him take a sip. He made a face.

"No sugar?" Shane asked, sloshing the coffee around in the mug.

"I assumed you wanted it black." I replied apologetically. "I don't know why."

"It's all right." Shane said, setting the mug down on his other side.

I slowly leaned in closer to Shane, trying to be subtle. Our arms brushed.

"What's that smell?" Shane asked, turning to look at me. "Is that you?"

"What does it smell like?" I asked, purposefully brushing my arm against his again.

I felt Shane's arm encircling me, his hand gripping my arm, just below my knives. Meanwhile, he was slowly leaning in towards me. I felt his breath on my neck as he inhaled deeply. He made a sound, lost in my skin. Then, I felt his lips pressing wet kisses down my neck.

"You smell like flowers." Shane mumbled, kissing lower.

I leaned against Shane's arm, and he took the hint. He laid me down on the roof, his lips moving into my blouse. He left moist kisses against my skin as he kissed all over my chest. He moved one hand over my breast, squeezing in time with his kisses. He was just like his brother. They both knew what they were doing when they were with women.

Then, there was something rolling on the roof. Shane was immediately moving in the direction of the sound. He moved off of me in the process. I looked over to see that his rifle had nearly rolled off the roof of the RV, but Shane caught it before it could.

In the moonlight, I saw the rifle. I knew immediately. The rifle didn't belong to Shane. It belonged to someone else. It belonged to Otis. I knew because I had seen him hunt with it every day since I had come to be at the farm. I knew because Otis took the rifle everywhere with him. He had taken it with him to the high school. There was no reason why Shane should have it. No reason, unless Shane had knowingly left Otis to die or killed him himself.

"Sorry." Shane apologized, setting the rifle back down on the roof.

"It's okay." I replied, recovering quickly from seeing the rifle. "I should go."

"You just got here." Shane groaned, running his hand over the exposed skin at my chest.

"I know, but you should keep your eyes peeled." I argued gently, scooting backwards. "There will be other nights for this."

Shane sighed, but it came out more like a low growl. He was pouting.

I climbed down the ladder, buttoning up my blouse as I headed for the house. My suspicions about Shane had been correct. Otis' blood was on his hands. Selfishly, at the moment, all I could think of was the man's sweat and spit on my skin. I had to shower. I wanted to get his scent off of me.

I took a hot shower, scrubbing Shane off of me with plenty of soap and water. By the time I was finished, I still felt him on me. It was like the blood on his hands had stained me.

I wrapped myself in Annette's robe before I went downstairs. My hair was still pretty damp, but I wanted to go surround myself in the sanctity of my bedroom. On my way to my bedroom, I suddenly heard a groan coming from Hershel's bedroom, which was where Daryl was staying.

"Daryl?"

Without thinking, I opened the bedroom door. Daryl was naked, at least above the waist, straining himself to get comfortable. His face was twisted in pain, but it melted away when he saw that someone had entered the bedroom. He yanked the sheets around himself, glaring at me in the open doorway.

"You ever hear of knockin'?" Daryl asked.

"I'm sorry, but I thought something was wrong." I replied, leaning against the doorframe. "I heard you groaning."

"I'm fine." Daryl mumbled, keeping the sheet over his body.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Daryl looked up at me.

"What are you doin' up?" Daryl asked, squinting in the lamplight.

I walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. There was a chair near the bed, which I settled into, while Daryl watched with a furrowed brow.

"I was just thinking." I replied as I made myself comfortable in the chair. "How do you feel about Rick and Shane?"

"You're weird." Daryl scoffed, sinking into his pillows.

"Look who's talking." I retorted without missing a beat.

Daryl's lips twitched. I watched as he slowly formed his mouth into a sly grin. After a few moments, I realized that he was trying to mimic the smile I had given him out in the woods. I knew what was coming next, but let it happen anyways.

"Looks can be deceivin'." Daryl said, his grin growing.

"Touché." I replied with a small bow.

Daryl chuckled, visibly relaxing against the pillows behind him.

"You're odd." Daryl reiterated.

"What can I say?" I shrugged, not at all insulted by what Daryl said. "Now…about my question…?"

Daryl wrinkled his nose.

"Why do you wanna know?" Daryl asked, his posture becoming less relaxed.

"I don't know anything about them, about any of you really." I replied casually. "I guess I just want to know what the men camping outside of this house are like."

Daryl fumbled with his sheet, clearing deciding whether or not he wanted to open up to me. After several minutes of listening to the sheet rustling, Daryl sighed. He rubbed one hand over his face.

"Rick's all right." Daryl shrugged, running his hand over the sheet. "I thought he was an asshole at first, but he's been good for the group. He's made some good decisions…I don't know."

"That seems fair." I nodded. "What about Shane?"

Daryl's eyes flickered up suddenly to meet mine.

"I don't know if I should talk about him with you." Daryl muttered.

Daryl didn't have to tell me. I could tell by the look in his eyes and from his previous statement that he knew. Daryl knew what Shane did to Otis, or at least had his suspicious aroused.

I got up from the chair, visibly surprising Daryl. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You saw it?" I asked quietly, leaning forward.

Daryl's confused expression withered away. The lines on his face smoothed.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded. "Yeah. I saw it."

"I thought I was alone." I murmured, looking away from Daryl. "I didn't know that anyone else suspected anything. It makes me feel better to know that I'm not alone, that I'm not crazy…"

I looked back at Daryl, catching him looking at my body. I followed his eyes. Annette's robe was clinging to my damp skin. I could clearly and easily see the outline of my nipples through the thin material. I wasn't embarrassed at all, but I could tell that Daryl suddenly felt uncomfortable. He shifted as far away from me as he could get, fixing the sheet over his body.

"I'm sorry." I said, standing up. "I didn't mean to just waltz in here and keep you awake. I just wanted to check on you, and now that I know you're all right, I'll go."

I quickly went to the door.

"Diana?"

I looked over at Daryl, who was peering over his shoulder at me.

"You're one weird lady, but you ain't crazy." Daryl told me softly, but seriously.

"Thank you." I replied with a nod. "Goodnight."

0o0o0

The next day, I paced my bedroom for a long time. I was thinking about everything: who had been in my bedroom, why did someone search my bedroom, what was I going to do with Shane, and if telling Daryl about my plan was a good idea or not. For the first time in years, I had absolutely no idea how to handle a man who needed to be put down, and it was because of one simple reason. I couldn't run away this time.

Daryl seemed all right, but he also hadn't done anything about Shane after discovering that he had Otis' rifle in his possession. I wasn't sure if he even cared. The only thing that seemed to be working in my favor was that Daryl had opened up about Rick, but had nothing good to say about Shane. I sensed that Daryl didn't care for Shane, and if he wasn't the man's ally, then maybe I could trust him.

I decided to speak with Daryl. It wasn't like before. I didn't have months to investigate Shane, or any witnesses to talk to. I had a limited amount of time. The fact of the matter was, I needed help. Daryl seemed like as good a person as any to align myself with. He was the only person from the group that I had _really_ talked to. He also seemed like the only person I could possibly trust.

When I was equipped and dressed, I headed out to the kitchen. I plated some of Patricia's breakfast to take to Hershel's bedroom. Before I opened the door, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the conversation I was about to have. When I was ready, I opened the door.

Maggie was straddling Glenn on the bed. They were both fully clothed, but they were sharing heated kisses. The moment the door opened, Maggie turned to see who had entered the room. When she realized it was me, she glared at me. Glenn remained motionless beneath her, as though making no movement or sound would make him invisible.

"I'm sorry." I blurted out, quickly shutting the door.

Before Maggie could come out after me, I quickly returned to the kitchen.

"Patricia, do you know where Daryl is?" I asked.

"Daryl?" Patricia asked, the name unfamiliar to her.

"The man who was laid up in Hershel's bedroom." I explained.

"Oh…he left early this morning. I think he returned to his tent." Patricia replied.

That was where I was going, but I wondered why Daryl would return to his tent in the condition he was in. Then again, I wasn't surprised.

"Mmm. _That_ looks good."

I turned around to see Shane standing behind me, licking his lips. I hadn't figured him into the equation. I suddenly realized that he might be turned off if he saw me crawling into Daryl's tent. I plastered a smile to my face.

"Patricia is a wonderful cook." I replied. "I thought-"

"Mmm. Honey," Shane took several steps towards me, "I wasn't talking about the food."

"Oh…" I murmured, recovering quickly. "Well, I'm glad you enjoy the view."

"I'm on guard at midnight." Shane gave me a once over. "Will you be joining me again?"

I reached out, pressing one hand to Shane's chest. I let my hand slide down the length of his torso, barely brushing his belt buckle.

"We'll see." I replied, giving Shane a wink. "Now, I better get this plate to Daryl, otherwise Patricia will have an absolute fit."

"Daryl?" Shane asked, his brow wrinkling.

"Patricia made this plate especially for him." I said, lifting the plate. "She wanted him to have a hearty breakfast to insure a speedy recovery."

Shane lifted a thick brow.

"Would you like to take it to him instead?" I asked, holding out the plate to Shane.

Shane's expression relaxed.

"Nah." Shane gave me a wave. "You give the dirty redneck his breakfast."

I watched Shane walk away before I went to Daryl's tent. I knew it was his because I could see him through the mesh. He was lying on his back, staring up at the sky.

"Good morning." I said when I got to the tent.

Daryl looked up at me through the mesh.

"What do you want now?" Daryl asked. "You wanna know if Shane wears boxers or briefs?"

"No thanks." I replied with a laugh. "I brought you something to eat."

"I ain't a charity case." Daryl grumbled, looking away from me.

"Daryl, it's scrambled eggs and a few slices of bacon." I said, putting a hand on my hip. "I promise you can feed yourself and everything."

Daryl met my eyes again.

"Bacon?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bacon." I nodded. "_Real_ bacon."

Daryl moved, opening the flap before settling back down. I went into his tent, handing over the plate before sitting down across from him. He dove into the bacon immediately, shoving two slices into his mouth before I was settled. He crunched on them like he had never tasted bacon before.

"So…what do you want?" Daryl asked with his mouth full of bacon.

"I'm just going to come out and ask you this…" I raised my hands. "Are you someone that I can trust?"

Daryl set his plate down.

"Christ Almighty…" Daryl rolled his eyes. "Is that what you came out here for?"

"I need to know if I can trust you." I replied. "Can I?"

"Why do you wanna trust me?" Daryl asked, grabbing the last slice of bacon. "Why can't you trust that Greene girl always taggin' along after you, or her daddy? Why you gotta trust me?"

I leaned in towards Daryl.

"Because you know the truth about Otis." I whispered.

Daryl looked me in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity. He was trying to read me. He was trying to figure me out. I was also trying to read him, figure him out. We were two strangers wondering if we could put our faith and trust in each other.

"What do you want?" Daryl murmured, shoving the bacon in his mouth.

I sighed.

"I've been suspicious of Shane from the very beginning." I explained quietly. "When I saw him with Otis' rifle, I knew that I was right about him."

"So…what does this have to do with me?" Daryl asked.

"When I was first suspicious of him, I decided to investigate." I replied. "I could tell that he wanted me-"

"Whoa." Daryl held up one hand. "What do you mean he _wanted_ you?"

"You know…" I cocked my head to the side. "He _wanted_ me."

I was surprised when I saw a blush creeping up Daryl's neck and staining his cheeks. He cleared his throat as he looked away from me, staring down at the eggs on his plate. He stuck his finger in them.

"Oh…" Daryl mumbled.

"So…I decided to use that to my advantage. I led him to think that I wanted him back, that way, I could get close to him without drawing suspicion."

"Okay, so what?" Daryl asked, playing with the eggs on his plate.

"Well, now that I know what he did…I want to do something about it." I replied.

Daryl suddenly looked up at me.

"You talkin' 'bout killin' him?" Daryl asked point blank.

I looked down at the floor of the tent until I worked up the courage to reply.

"Yes." I murmured.

Daryl nodded. He seemed to be taking my admission well.

"…and you want me to do it?" Daryl asked.

"No." I shook my head. "No. I want to do it."

Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you can handle that?"

"Trust me," I leaned forward again, "I can handle it."

Daryl looked at me again like he was trying to see behind my mask. I wasn't going to give my past away. That was one secret I wasn't going to entrust in anyone.

"Okay…so what do you need my help for?" Daryl asked.

"Well, I can't just run up behind Shane and stab him in the back." I replied, sitting back. "I have to be very careful and very quiet when I do this. Nobody can suspect that he was murdered."

"That's gonna be a fuckin' challenge." Daryl snorted.

"I know it is, but I'm hoping that you can help me come up with some kind of plan." I said.

"Why should I help you?" Daryl asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You _should_ help me because it's the right thing to do, but I'm not going to make you help me." I replied calmly. "I figured that I would ask for your help and see if you were interested. If you aren't, I can come up with something on my own."

Daryl sighed. He laid back on his pillow.

"What if I said I wanted somethin' in return?" Daryl asked.

"Then I would ask what you wanted." I said with a shrug. "I don't have much, but-"

"I want you to help me look for Sophia." Daryl interrupted.

I was surprised by Daryl's request.

"Really?" I asked. "Why?"

"Havin' a horse helped me cover more ground yesterday, but the old man is never gonna lend me one after I snatched Nelly." Daryl replied. "Maybe if you were with me, the old man would let us have a horse, maybe even two. The more ground I cover, the faster I'll find Sophia."

"That's all you want?" I asked. "You just want me to help you look for the girl?"

"You think I wanted you like Shane?" Daryl scoffed.

I lifted an eyebrow. Confidently, I crawled towards Daryl. He tensed up as I hovered over his raised knees, looking down at him on his pillow. I placed one of my hands on Daryl's knee, slowly moving it up the length of his thigh. I stopped.

"Daryl, I _know_ that deep down, some part of you wants me." I murmured.

Then, I backed off, but before Daryl could say anything about what I had just said or done, I held out a hand to him.

"I accept your deal."


	9. The Culprit

**The Culprit**

**Leyshla Gisel: **It's all for you! Hahaha.

**ScornedxRose: **Everything Daryl does is adorable and/or sexy. Am I right? Haha. Here's your update!

**Guest: **Oh yeah. She went there.

0o0o0

Since Daryl was unable to go out that day, I decided to spend some time with Beth. Other than our evening tradition, we hadn't gotten to spend a lot of time together since the group had arrived. Usually, we were inseparable. We would help each other with chores, ride, sit on the porch together and talk, things that two people who cared about each other did. I missed our time together.

I found Beth at the chicken coop with Patricia. Beth was holding a burlap sack open, while Patricia held a chicken in her hands. I knew what was coming. Patricia wrapped her hands around the chicken's feet and snapped them backward. The chicken cried out in pain, but Patricia held it steady as she maneuvered it into the sack.

"Diana." Patricia greeted me when she realized I was standing outside of the coop.

"Hi, Diana." Beth mumbled, her face pale as she looked down at the sack.

"Why don't you let me take that?" I asked, stepping into the coop with my hands outstretched. "You can hold the door open for me."

"Are you sure?" Beth asked.

"Give it to me, honey." I replied gently, reaching for the sack.

Beth handed over the sack, which was making all kinds of noises as the chicken flailed around inside. I could tell it was upsetting her, so I quickly headed for the barn. To make sure that no one saw what we were doing, Beth and I used the back barn doors. It was also chained and locked.

"Are you ready?" I asked, watching as Beth slowly unchained the doors.

Beth nodded, pulling the chains loose from the handles. When she opened one of the doors, I quickly stepped up to the open doorway. The walkers were swarmed together in the center of the barn. When they noticed me, they immediately headed my way. Before they could get close enough, I reached into the sack. I grabbed the chicken by the neck, throwing it into the herd of walkers.

"Diana!" Beth cried.

I stepped backward out of the barn, slamming the door shut.

"What?" I asked, turning to look at Beth.

"I…" Beth shook her head. "I just got worried…"

"I'm all right, Beth." I reassured her, keeping my weight against the doors. "Why don't you chain these doors so that we'll be finished?"

Beth agreed, quickly chaining and locking the doors.

"Do you have any plans for today?" I asked, wrapping an arm around Beth's shoulders.

"Actually, Rick and Shane said something about teaching everyone to shoot." Beth replied, looking up at me as we walked back towards the house. "Daddy said it might be a good idea for Patricia and I to learn after Otis…"

Beth looked down at the ground.

"Your father is right." I told her softly, squeezing her. "It would be good for both you and Patricia to learn how to shoot."

Beth looked back up at me.

"Will you come?" Beth asked quietly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked.

Beth nodded.

"Then I will." I said, giving Beth a smile as we neared the campsite.

Beth's complexion finally began to brighten again as she returned my smile. We found ourselves in the midst of the camp. Rick walked up to Beth and I with a warm smile.

"Will you two be joining us today?" Rick asked, looking between the two of us.

"We'll be there, but Beth will be the only one learning." I replied, rubbing Beth's arm.

"Do you know how to shoot, Diana?" Rick asked, shifting his weight.

Visions of the bullet ripping through Allen's torso flickered through my mind.

"I've fired a gun before," I answered with a nod, "but I prefer my knives."

"Knives are a great weapon to have." Rick placed his hands on his hips as he shifted his weight again. "I would suggest brushing up on your skills with a gun. If you ever run into a situation where you're outnumbered, it would come in handy to have fired a gun recently."

"Maybe some other time, Rick." I replied with a kind smile. "Today, I'm just going to support Beth."

"Fair enough." Rick nodded. "If you're ready to go, we'll be leaving soon."

Beth and I piled into one of the vehicles Rick and Shane were taking off the farm. I could tell Beth was nervous. She fidgeted the whole way. At one point, I reached over to steady her quivering leg with my hand.

When we were off Hershel's property, we pulled off into a field with a rundown fence upon it. Before Beth and I were out of the car, Shane was already setting up bottles and jugs on the fence. They were targets for everyone to shoot at. Almost everyone from the group was there, except for the few people who stayed behind.

"I'm nervous." Beth whispered, clutching my hand suddenly.

"There's nothing to be nervous about." I replied soothingly, holding Beth's hand meaningfully in mine. "This is just practice. There is no real danger right now. This is just preparing you for any real danger you might face later."

"I know, but…" Beth moved closer to me. "I've never shot before."

"There's a first time for everything." I said. "It's going to be new, loud, and startling, but if you practice, you'll get used to the noise and the recoil. You'll be a real gunslinger before you know it."

Beth smiled up at me.

"I'll never be a gunslinger, but maybe I won't be terrible."

"That's the spirit." I laughed, giving Beth's hand a squeeze before letting go of it.

Rick gave Beth a pistol to use, which she promptly pointed at herself as she studied it. I quickly corrected her, a blush covering her cheeks when she realized what she had done. It almost discouraged her from shooting altogether, but with enough reassurance, she stepped up to the line of people firing at the cans and bottles on the fence. Beth turned back to glance at me once before she fired. She jumped out of her skin when the gun went off in her hands. Her shoulders visibly tensed up.

"Beth, it's okay." I told her, stepping up behind her.

"I can't do it, Diana." Beth replied, still tense.

I began to massage Beth's shoulders, hoping that I could work the stress out of her. I wished she didn't have to learn to use a gun, but that wasn't the world we lived in. In all honesty, it never really was.

"Try again, but this time, squeeze the trigger slowly." I murmured, helping Beth to hold the gun properly. "I promise that will help."

"…okay." Beth said after a few moments.

I stepped back to watch her.

"Diana."

I turned to see Rick and Shane approaching.

"Why ain't you shooting?" Shane asked, hands on his belt.

"I don't need to." I replied simply.

"What do you mean you don't need to?" Shane asked, raising both eyebrows. "Everyone should be learning to shoot, including you."

"Shane, Diana is familiar with guns." Rick explained.

"Then she should re-familiarize herself." Shane argued, looking back at me.

"I'm here for Beth, not for myself." I replied, beginning to become annoyed with Shane's condescending persistence. "I have my knives. Those will do. Now please leave me alone."

Shane's mouth twitched. I struck a nerve.

"What's the matter?" Shane asked, taking a step forward. "Are you afraid?"

"Shane, come on." Rick muttered, wrapping an arm around his friend's chest.

I turned to see that Beth was watching the exchange. I decided to shut Shane up.

"Beth, may I borrow that?" I asked sweetly, holding out my hand for the gun.

Beth handed me the pistol, immediately backing away from me.

"Shane, are you watching?" I asked, turning to glance back at him. "I wouldn't want you to miss this."

Shane rubbed his nose before folding his arms over his chest.

I turned back around, holding the gun tightly in my hands. When it began to shake, I loosened my grip, but only just. I steadied my hands, concentrating on my breathing. I aimed for three red bottles lined up next to each other.

Trisha, an instructor who was formerly abused by her ex-husband, taught me everything I knew when I took on my first identity, Fiona Snow. Trisha taught me three times a week for six months before she felt confident enough in me to let me shoot alone. I practiced with a gun every couple of months with all of my identities, but I never used one for a kill after Allen.

I breathed in, then fired. I put a bullet through the first, second, and third bottle, one right after the other. I would have liked to have seen where exactly on the bottle my bullets hit, but unfortunately, there was no way to know. All three shattered, pieces shooting off from the fence.

I turned around, handing the gun back to Beth.

"You were doing much better." I told her, setting my hand on her shoulder.

I looked over at Shane, who was silently fuming. I kept eye contact with him. I didn't care if he never wanted to fuck me again. I wanted him to know that he couldn't intimidate me. He didn't own me. He wasn't in control of me. He wasn't going to take advantage of me like he had taken advantage of Otis.

"Diana…" Beth said breathlessly.

"Try again." I said, removing my hand from her shoulder. "You're doing fine."

Shane stalked off down the line, leaving Rick behind.

"I'm sorry about him." Rick apologized as I walked up to him. "Shane can come on strong, but he just wants what's best for everyone. He thought that by pushing you, he would be helping you."

"If you say so, Sheriff." I replied with a sigh.

I glanced down the line as Shane moved behind Andrea. He adjusted her arms, and as his hands slid over her skin, he looked back at me. It was as if he was trying to make me jealous. If only he knew that he meant nothing to me alive, he would have known his mission was futile. I gave Shane a grin and a quick wink before looking away from his pathetic attempt to make me jealous.

"That was good shooting." Rick complimented me genuinely.

"Thank you." I replied with an appreciative nod. "I have to admit that my aim might not have been as good had I not been trying so hard to prove Shane wrong."

Rick laughed.

"Well, I guess his pushing paid off."

"I guess so." I shrugged.

Rick suddenly looked down at me, his eyes roaming my face. It was the same look he had given me the first time we had officially spoken. He was trying to remember my face. He was trying to place it. His gaze was making me anxious.

"Do I have dirt on my face?" I asked, touching my cheeks.

"No. I'm sorry…it's just…something about your face…" Rick's voice trailed off as he continued to study my face as though his life depended on pinning down my identity.

"Is anything coming to mind?" I asked, trying to sound jovial.

"No." Rick shook his head, finally looking away from me. "I'm sorry. I must be crazy."

"You aren't crazy." I replied, clapping Rick on the back. "You're just mistaken."

I wandered back to Beth to check on her before Rick could continue our conversation.

0o0o0

Beth fell asleep on my shoulder during the short ride back to the farm. She was tired after having spent most of the day shooting. When we got back to the house, I wished I were stronger so that I could carry Beth into the house without waking her. Instead, I gently shook her awake.

"Come on, Beth." I said softly as she roused from her short sleep. "Let's get you upstairs so that you can take a nap before dinner."

"Dinner?" Beth rubbed her eyes. "I'm ready for bed."

"You can go right back to sleep after you eat." I laughed, helping Beth out of the car.

Beth and I walked into the house and right upstairs. She flopped down on her bed when we reached her bedroom, her eyes already closed.

"I'll come and wake you when dinner is ready." I whispered, adjusting the curtains.

As I was heading for the door, Beth suddenly caught my hand as I walked past her bed.

"Beth?" I asked, looking down at her. "What is it?"

Beth looked up at me, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

"I…I feel terrible…" Beth whimpered, sitting up as I sat down on her bed.

"Why?" I asked worriedly, wrapping my arm around Beth's waist. "What is it, Beth?"

"I…I've been keeping something from you…" Beth replied, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry…"

"Beth, you can tell me anything." I told her gently.

Beth looked up at me, her eyes still shining with tears.

"I…I went to your bedroom yesterday…" Beth explained slowly. "I…I didn't know you were gone…I thought you were napping when you didn't answer…"

I felt a shiver running down my spine as I slowly realized that it had been Beth in my room.

"Then…then I heard something…" Beth sat up straighter. "I thought you just didn't hear me knocking…so I opened the door…"

Though I was relieved to know that it hadn't been Beth snooping in my bedroom, I still felt shivers as I waited in anticipation for the identity of the culprit.

"It…it was Maggie…" Beth wiped away escaping tears. "Maggie was in your room."


	10. Stories and Secrets

**Stories and Secrets**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Hahaha. Yes, you were right! You'll hear more about Diana's identities later.

**Guest: **Maggie is suspicious of Diana, so she wanted to search through her things to see if she found anything incriminating. You'll just have to see what happens with Sophia.

**ScornedxRose: **No, Maggie didn't find the bag with the pictures in it. Thank you!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **You were right all along! Here's your update!

**Chellybobelly: **Thank you so much! I'm glad that you appreciate my writing. Your review made me smile.

0o0o0

I went to my bedroom after leaving Beth to sleep. I was vaguely aware of Patricia asking me if Beth was all right, but I was focused on hiding my past. After learning that it was Maggie who had been going through my things, I knew I needed to make sure she didn't find my bag of secrets. She was persistent in her mission to uncover my true identity. She would stop at nothing to unmask me. If my past was exposed, it would put my life in jeopardy. More importantly, it would put my relationship with Beth in jeopardy. I couldn't let that happen.

When the door was shut, I pulled my bag out from under the bed. There was a small closet in the corner. I opened the door, studying the space. There were a few articles of clothing hanging in the closet, as well as a shelf above the rack. I put my bag up on the shelf, shoving it as far back as it would go. The bag wasn't visible once it was pushed to the back of the shelf. Satisfied, I quickly shut the door.

"Diana?"

I looked to the door as I heard Patricia's muffled voice from the other side.

"Coming." I replied as I made my way to the door and opened it.

"Are you all right, dear?" Patricia asked, giving me a strange look. "I tried to speak with you as you came down the stairs just now, but you walked right past me."

"I'm so sorry, Patricia." I apologized genuinely. "I didn't mean to ignore you. I guess I just had my head way up in the clouds for a minute there."

"Are you sure?" Patricia asked.

"I'm sure." I replied with a nod. "I just feel terrible that I was so rude-"

"I can understand having your mind drift off." Patricia interrupted softly, her eyes faraway in her memories. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Why don't I come and help you with dinner?" I asked, shutting the door behind me as I stepped out into the hall.

I went to the kitchen with Patricia to help her make dinner, trying to keep my mind off of Maggie and her search. She had been sly in asking me to go out after Daryl and her father's horse. She had done a wonderful job of lulling me into a false sense of security by kindly offering me a set of riding clothes. She got me off the farm so that she could look through my bedroom without fear of having me stumble upon her midway through her investigation. Though I wanted to be angry with her, I couldn't help but feel my respect for her growing.

0o0o0

The next morning, I was up earlier than usual. I put on the clothes Maggie let me borrow, having taken them after I washed and dried them, and plaited my hair into two braids like before. When I was equipped, I headed out to the campsite. I had already spoken with Hershel about borrowing a horse, as well as informed Beth that I would be helping Daryl search for Sophia. All I needed to do was retrieve Daryl and saddle Suzie up.

"Psst." I hissed over Daryl's tent, peeking through the mesh at him as he slept.

Daryl groaned, scratching his side before opening his eyes to squint up at me.

"What the hell?" Daryl yawned.

"You said you wanted my help to look for Sophia." I replied quietly so as not to wake the others. "I'll give you a few minutes to wake up. Meet me at the stables."

Without another word, I headed down to the stables. By the time I had blanketed and saddled Suzie, Daryl had made his way to the stables. His crossbow was strapped to his back, but he was moving slower than normal. I stepped away from Suzie to watch him as he walked. He was still in pain.

"What're you lookin' at?" Daryl grumbled.

"Are you sure you're up to going out today?" I asked. "I could go myself, or we could just put it-"

"No." Daryl interrupted roughly. "I gotta get out there now before the trail goes cold."

I knew he was determined to find the little girl, and I could understand that. Whenever I found a man to take out, I felt the weight of determination on my shoulders until I accomplished my mission. That was why I didn't try to talk him out of going again.

"You ready to go yet?" Daryl asked, leaning against a stall.

"If you want to speed things along, why don't you fill those canteens?" I asked, motioning to the two canteens resting on the empty saddle rack. "There's a spigot over there."

Daryl grumbled all the way to the saddle rack and then all the way to the spigot.

"Are you always this pleasant in the morning?" I asked with an amused smile as I bridled Suzie.

"Maybe if you'd brought me some coffee…" Daryl mumbled, returning with the canteens.

"Sorry." I replied halfheartedly, putting the canteens into the saddlebag. "Ready?"

"I ain't ridin' bitch today." Daryl told me, pointing a finger at me.

"Are you sure you can handle controlling her?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest. "You're still healing…"

Before I could finish, Daryl was already climbing into the saddle.

"Proud are you?" I asked, gripping the saddle to climb on.

As I was about to pull myself up, Daryl offered me his hand. I promptly knocked it away so that I could climb up myself, settling in behind him.

"Look who's talkin'." Daryl snorted, picking up the reigns.

Daryl gave Suzie a kick, and we were off. I held onto the saddle as we rode towards the tree line. If Daryl was going to be too proud and stubborn to hold onto me when I controlled Suzie, then so was I. It stayed that way through the whole ride. Finally, we came to a very densely forested part of the woods. Daryl brought Suzie to a halt. There was no way we could ride her through the thick foliage.

"We're gonna have to leave her." Daryl said as he climbed down from the saddle.

"We're not leaving this horse." I replied, joining Daryl on the ground. "We can lead her through the trees."

"That'll take longer." Daryl argued. "We could get through all this faster without her."

"What if walkers come along and find an easy meal?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Better her than us." Daryl shrugged.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really think that Hershel will lend us another horse if we allow this one to be ravaged by the undead?"

Daryl kicked the ground, but he reached for Suzie's reigns.

"Come on." Daryl mumbled, pulling the horse after him.

I followed Daryl, keeping an eye on my surroundings in the process. I had to watch for walkers, but also any sign that a little girl had been in the area.

"Walkers, huh?" Daryl asked suddenly, turning his head to grin at me.

"I believe it was you that corrected me." I replied, peering through the many trees.

Then, it was silent. Both Daryl and I were diligent in our search of the surrounding area, though we never split up. I could tell that Suzie was getting tired after a few hours. She was an older horse.

"We need to water Suzie." I said, walking ahead of Daryl. "The river that runs through the ridge should be just ahead, right?"

"Yeah." Daryl nodded, pulling Suzie along.

When we came to the river, I pulled Suzie into the water so that she could drink. It was good news for me that the pair of boots Hershel lent to me were waterproof. I pet Suzie as she drank from the river, thirsty after all of the riding and walking she had done that day. As I looked up, I noticed that Daryl was sitting at the edge of the river watching me.

"What?" I asked.

Daryl nodded towards me.

"Where'd you get that?" Daryl asked.

I looked down at the arm I was using to hold Suzie's reigns. The scar there was visible in the sunlight.

"Do you want to hear the story I've been telling people, or do you want to hear the truth?" I asked.

"Whichever you wanna tell me I guess," Daryl shrugged, "or neither. I don't care."

I looked back at Suzie.

"I fell into a mirror." I replied simply.

"Is that what you been tellin' people?" Daryl scoffed.

I looked back at Daryl, lifting an eyebrow.

"You could tell that I was lying?" I asked curiously.

"I overheard Glenn tellin' Dale you stitched yourself up after fallin' into a mirror." Daryl explained, picking up a nearby stick and fiddling with it. "Anyways, I can tell the difference between somethin' accidental and somethin' done on purpose."

I nodded.

"So…you have a scar or two yourself?" I asked.

I watched Daryl pull out a knife to strip the bark from the stick. He looked up at me.

"Maybe." Daryl muttered, looking back down at the stick he was carving up.

"I got into a fight…" I murmured after a few moments, looking down into the water as the real events played out in its reflection…

_"You thought you could kill _me_?!" Greg bellowed, throwing me against the wall._

"I was younger then, not as skilled as I am now…"

_I fought against his weight, but he was so much bigger than I was. I had made a mistake._

"I tried to get away from him, but he was too strong…"

_As I flailed against him, swinging my arms in his direction, Greg shoved me harder against the wall. The force of his weight sent my arm through the window._

"My arm went through a window…"

_Then, Trisha was there, like a guardian angel._

I looked up from the water to see that Daryl was watching me as I spoke. I smiled.

"But I survived, stitched this up, and here I am." I said, finishing my story.

I pulled on Suzie's reigns, urging her across the river. Daryl followed suit, crossing the river behind us so that we could continue our search for Sophia. It was quiet again. There were no more stories to tell our secrets to share. We were both guarded. I could feel the wall surrounding Daryl. As long as he kept his word to help me, there was no reason for me to try and climb it.

Eventually, we broke through the denser part of the woods and came to the ridge.

"You probably didn't get a good look down there, did you?" I asked, looking over at Daryl.

"I was busy bleedin'." Daryl replied harshly, glaring at me.

"I didn't mean anything by that." I reassured him, unoffended by his tone. "I was just thinking that it might be a good idea for me to have a look around."

"You?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it probably isn't a good idea for you to risk your life again getting down there."

"How're you gonna get down there without killin' yourself?"

"I have an idea." I replied, reaching into the saddlebag. "There's rope here. I could take one end, and tie the other to Suzie. I could use the rope to climb safely down, then back up."

Daryl looked at the rope in my hands, down the ridge, then back at me.

"Okay." Daryl shrugged.

I tied the rope to Suzie's saddle, then took the other end into my hands.

"Hey, if you're gonna die, tell me somethin'." Daryl said as I prepared to climb down.

"What?" I asked.

"What's in the purse?" Daryl asked, motioning to the pouch at my waist.

He made it too easy.

"Tampons and makeup." I replied immediately. "There's a lipstick in here that's just my color."

Then, I started down the ridge. I could see Daryl holding onto Suzie's reigns to keep her steady while I climbed down towards the bottom. It was a long way down. I began to truly appreciate the lengths Daryl had gone to thus far to recover Sophia. He could have easily died down there.

Luckily for me, it was Suzie on the other end of my rope and not Nelly. I made it safely down onto the bed of dirt and silt below. I let go of the rope so that I could investigate the area.

"You okay up there?!" I called out, looking up the hill at Daryl as he watched from above.

"I ain't the one climbin' up and down this deathtrap!" Daryl shouted back. "Get lookin'!"

I waved him off as I walked along the length of the bottom of the ridge. I searched the ground for any sign of a little girl. There were no footprints, no scraps or shreds of clothing, no nothing.

I looked at the water. I wondered if Sophia had used it as a source of drinking water or for a place to bathe or clean. Perhaps she had dropped something in the water, or even…

"I'm going to check the water!" I shouted without turning around.

I didn't want to get my only clothes wet, so I pulled off Maggie's white T-shirt. I laid it over a fallen tree trunk. Then, I stripped off her stirrup pants. I sat down on the log so that I could take off my boots and socks. I left them with my shirt and pants. Left in my bra and underwear, I headed for the water.

"Is this free?!" Daryl suddenly yelled.

I smiled to myself as I waded into the cool water. When I was waist deep, I took a breath, and submerged myself completely. I swam beneath the water, checking the bed for any fallen objects. I came up every minute or so for air, but continued searching the water. I was determined to find something.

Suddenly, I spotted something at the bottom of the water. I swam down to it. It was a water logged, tattered doll. I smiled underwater as I quickly snatched up the doll. I couldn't wait to break the surface to show Daryl what I had found.

As I came to the surface, my eyes widened. There was a dead walker on the ground, an arrow in its head. I watched as Daryl, armed with the knives I had left with my clothes, stabbed a second walker in the skull. Without missing a beat, he whipped his other arm around to do the same to a third walker stumbling up behind him. At the same time, he ripped both knives out. The walkers fell to the ground.

I quickly swam to shore.

"Are you-"

"You should've taken your knives with you." Daryl interrupted, turning around to glare at me.

"I didn't want to lose them." I replied calmly.

"Instead, I had to hurry on down here and take care of business." Daryl snapped.

"Well, if I hadn't gone in the water, I wouldn't have found this." I retorted angrily, shoving the soaking wet doll into Daryl's chest.

I went to the first walker I had seen, pulling the arrow loose from its head. By the time I turned around, Daryl was holding out Suzie's horse blanket to me.

"I brought this for you." Daryl muttered, refusing to look at me as he held the blanket out.

I took the blanket from his hands, wrapping it around my wet body.

"Thank you." I replied quietly, already feeling my anger draining. "Thank you for taking care of-"

"Don't mention it." Daryl interrupted, waving one hand nonchalantly.

I sat down on the log to dry off while Daryl cleaned off my knives and his arrow. The doll was looped safely through his belt.

"What do you think that means?" I asked, motioning to the doll.

"I think she's been here." Daryl replied, looking up from what he was doing. "She might've come down here for water or somethin'. It's a good sign."

I wasn't sure if finding the doll in deep water was a good sign or not, but since I hadn't seen a body, I guessed it wasn't necessarily a bad sign.

When I was dry enough, I equipped myself and got dressed.

"I'll head up first." Daryl said, picking up the rope. "If the rope fails, you'll have a chance to grab on to somethin' else."

"Okay." I agreed, watching Daryl head up the hill.

When he had a good start, I followed him up. I watched Suzie at the top of the ridge, tied to a tree, and hoped she stayed still and calm while Daryl and I made our way up to her.

Daryl reached the top. As he stood up by Suzie, his sudden presence startled her. Suzie reared up, and in doing so, the rope was ripped from my hands. I started to fall back, but dug my nails into the earth, trying to find something to grab onto.

"Diana!" Daryl called out, diving forward with his hands outstretched. "Grab on!"

I swung one of my arms up towards his hand. Our fingers brushed.

"Come on!" Daryl shouted, straining his hands.

I looked down at my scarred arm, remembering that day Greg had nearly killed me. I remembered what I said to Daryl. I had survived.

I tried again, but this time, Daryl was able to catch my hand. With our hands intertwined, I was able to pull myself up. Daryl didn't let go of my hand until I was safely off the hill. He and I were both covered in dirt and leaves. I noticed that Daryl's side was bleeding. His stitched had ripped.

"Your stitches…" I pointed to the blood soaking through his shirt.

"It's nothin'." Daryl replied.

"It's not nothing." I argued, immediately going to the saddlebag. "I have to stitch you back up."

"That can wait."

"What good are you to me or Sophia if you bleed to death or get an infection?" I asked, pulling out the first aid kit from the saddlebag. "Now, lay down somewhere so that I can fix you up."

Daryl grumbled under his breath as he eased himself onto the ground. He balanced one arm under his head as I kneeled down beside him. I pulled up his shirt to reveal the torn stitches.

"Is this free?" I asked, grinning down at Daryl as I pulled the scissors out of the first aid kit.

Daryl blushed, but he looked away before I could get a good look at his flush cheeks.

I cut the thread and removed the stitches. I used one of the antibiotic wipes to sterilize the entire area. As I used the wipe all over Daryl's skin, I felt raised flesh wrapping around from his back to the front. I knew without having to look that it was a scar.

"Where did you get that?" I asked softly, discarding the wipe when I was finished with it.

Daryl peered down at his side. He caught sight of the scar.

"I fell into a mirror." Daryl said without missing a beat, looking up at the sky.

"That seems like a common accident." I replied, feeling no urge to climb Daryl's wall.

I threaded Ethilon through a needle, and quickly began sewing up Daryl's flesh. He didn't squirm, whine, or complain once. I got the feeling he had been stitched up before, or he had at least experienced pain enough times not to care when he felt it anymore.

"All done." I said when I was finished, packing everything up.

I put the first aid kit back into the saddlebag.

"Well, I think we've covered enough ground for today." I said, climbing up into the saddle. "We can pick up the trail tomorrow at first light."

Daryl climbed up behind me without complaining about having to ride behind me.

I rode off on the same path I had used when I found Daryl at the bottom of the ridge and taken him back to the farm. It felt like déjà vu as we rode back to the farm, having had another incident in the very same place.

As we rode, I suddenly felt Daryl's hand on my thigh. I was surprised, but didn't dare to turn and look at him. I knew that if I did, he would pull his hand away. His hand gripped my thigh, his fingers embedded into the material of my pants. He was holding onto me. His warm hand on my thigh was stirring up a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt the flame of lust growing there. I knew somewhere in his bones, Daryl felt the same heat for me. I could tell on instinct alone, but it helped when I felt his erection against my backside.

When we broke through the trees, and the house was visible, Daryl pulled his hand off of me. The world Daryl and I had been living in a few moments before was gone. We were back to life on the farm.


	11. Looking Out

**Looking Out**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Ohhh yeahhh. Hahaha.

**ScornedxRose: **Yes, ma'am. Here's your update!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **You'll find out about Sophia in this chapter. As for Shane, I'm ready for him to die as well, but all good things come to those who wait. Here's your update!

**Guest: **The best place to get an erection would be on a horse. Wait…what? I don't know. Hahaha.

**Whimsical Pixie: **I'm glad that you love my story and Diana. Thank you!

0o0o0

The moment we rode into the stables, Daryl dismounted and was off. I unsaddled and unbridled Suzie alone. By the time I was finished, the sun was starting to set. I hadn't realized how long Daryl and I had been out in the woods until we made it back to the farm. We spent an entire day together out looking for Sophia. The time had flown since we had been so busy and experienced so much excitement.

As I was passing through camp towards the house, Carol suddenly stopped me. It was the first time we had spoken since the day I ran into her and the others in the woods while looking for Maggie.

"Diana, are you okay?" Carol asked, her eyes wide and fearful. "I saw blood on Daryl's shirt-"

"I'm fine." I interrupted, holding up a hand. "Daryl's stitches were torn open, but it's nothing to worry about. I already fixed his sutures."

Carol breathed a sigh of relief, her hand settling on her chest.

"Oh, good." Carol breathed, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I've just been feeling so guilty since Daryl was injured. I would have felt terrible if you…"

"There's no reason to worry." I reassured the nervous woman.

"I didn't stop you just to ask if you were all right." Carol said as I moved to continue on my way. "I also wanted to thank you for spending your time and risking your life to look for my little girl. Sometimes I feel like we'll never find her, but having others around me who believe we will…well, it helps…"

"Daryl and I won't rest until we find Sophia." I replied, suddenly smiling. "Well, we do have to rest, but we will continue to search until we've found your daughter."

Carol laughed quietly.

"Thank you." Carol whispered, tears shining in her eyes.

I gave Carol a single nod before I made my way towards the house. As I started up the steps, Beth came out onto the front porch. She was smiling, but it melted off her face when she saw me.

"Are you okay?!" Beth shrieked, flying down the steps towards me.

"This is just dirt." I replied, pulling at Maggie's once white T-shirt. "I'm okay."

"Let me run you a shower." Beth said, wrapping her hand around mine to pull me after her.

"Do I look that bad?" I asked with a smile as Beth tugged me into the house and up the stairs.

Beth ran me a hot shower. While I cleaned myself, she took Maggie's clothes to wash and dry. By the time I had finished my shower, one of Annette's nightgowns was waiting for me. I smiled to myself as I dried off and got dressed.

I laid down in bed with the intention of resting for a few minutes before dinner. After the day I had, I ended up slipping into the deepest sleep I'd had in a while. I didn't even wake up when Beth came to get me for dinner. I slept through the night until morning.

When I woke up, it was still dark outside. I spent several minutes trying to locate Maggie's white T-shirt, but couldn't find it. I didn't want to wake her or Beth, so I just chose one of Annette's older looking blouses to wear. I made a mental note to try and not get her blouse as dirty as the T-shirt.

Remembering what Daryl had said the morning before, I stopped into the kitchen to brew him a cup of coffee. I kept it black instead of adding milk and sugar like I had before. When it was ready, I carried it out with me to the campsite. Daryl was already awake, moving around inside of his tent.

"Knock, knock." I announced myself quietly as I approached his tent.

Daryl turned around, squinting at me through the mesh.

"I brought you a pick-me-up this morning." I said with a smile, holding out the mug.

Daryl scurried out of his tent. He looked at the mug, then at me.

"It's black." I told him, reiterating the mug to him so that he would take it.

Daryl finally took the mug from my hand, but he didn't take a drink. He was still squinting at me. After a few seconds, his nose wrinkled up.

"Why you wearin' that?" Daryl asked, motioning to my blouse.

"I couldn't find the shirt Maggie loaned to me." I replied, taking a step backwards. "I'm going to get Suzie ready to go. I'll see you at the stables?"

Daryl gave me a nod.

I could tell Suzie was still worn out from our trip the day before. I made sure that I chose a thick, comfortable horse blanket for her to wear. As I was saddling her up, Daryl entered the stables. His coffee mug was missing, but he had something draped over his arm.

"What's that?" I asked, nodding to the article of clothing.

"I…uh…" Daryl scratched the back of his neck. "I brought it for…you…"

I stopped what I was doing as Daryl offered the shirt to me. It had probably once had long sleeves, but they had been cut off. It was stained with sweat and soot, but it was better than getting Annette's blouse filthy or torn. I took the shirt from him.

"Thank you." I said, hanging the shirt over a stall door.

"So I was thinkin'…" Daryl's voice trailed off as I unbuttoned Annette's blouse.

I looked up to see that Daryl had pivoted so that his back was to me. I grinned.

"You were thinking…?" I replied, slipping out of Annette's blouse.

"I was thinkin' it might be a good idea to," Daryl cleared his throat, "go back to the farmhouse I found a few days back."

"Why?" I asked, folding Annette's blouse carefully over the stall door.

"It looked like someone was stayin' there." Daryl explained as I pulled on his shirt. "The closest source of water to that house is where we were yesterday."

"Okay." I said, buttoning up Daryl's shirt.

When I was finished, I waited for Daryl to turn back around.

"I'm dressed." I told him, finishing up with Suzie.

Daryl turned back around, watching me as I bridled Suzie and made sure the saddlebag contained everything we might need.

"It's your turn to lead if you want." I said, stepping back.

Without a word, Daryl mounted Suzie, making room for me behind him. When I was situated behind him, I gingerly wrapped one arm around his waist. I felt his body tense against mine. I had surprised him.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked innocently.

"Naw." Daryl answered quickly.

I smiled.

0o0o0

When Suzie began to tire, Daryl slowed her pace to a walk. I unwrapped my arm from around him.

"So, what's goin' on with Shane?" Daryl asked suddenly.

"Well, I think I might have…_turned him off_ to me." I replied honestly, keeping my eyes on my surroundings as always.

"What?" Daryl asked, turning his head to glance back at me. "How'd you do that?"

"I may or may not have embarrassed him in front of Rick." I said.

Daryl snorted as he turned his head back around to face the front.

"Good goin'." Daryl muttered.

"I'm not going to let that pig intimidate me, or give him the wrong impression that he has a vote in what I say and do." I replied adamantly, feeling a scowl deepen on my face. "I'm not a pushover, and I'm certainly not his property."

I looked up to see that Daryl had looked back at me again. When our eyes met, he shook his head, returning his gaze ahead. I tried to lean sideways to see his face, but I couldn't.

"What?" I asked.

"You don't talk like any woman I know." Daryl replied, turning his head to look at me.

"Oh?"

"You ain't like any woman I ever met." Daryl muttered, his blue eyes locked onto mine.

I gave Daryl a smile before he hid his face from me again. I had been right all along. The Southerner had sized me up. He liked me. I was beginning to realize I liked him too. He was genuine, even if that meant serving up a piping hot plate of harsh truth. I appreciated that about Daryl. I knew exactly where I stood with him at all times.

"So…what're you gonna do 'bout him then?" Daryl asked, breaking the silence that had settled over us.

"I hadn't given it much thought." I replied with a sigh. "I wanted to be fully committed to my end of the deal. I intend to help you find Sophia dead or alive."

Daryl whipped his head around so fast that I swung backward to avoid a collision.

"Sophia's alive." Daryl snapped, his tone matching the anger and determination in his eyes.

"Okay." I replied with a nod.

We didn't speak again until we reached the abandoned house Daryl had visited before. Daryl dismounted first, tying Suzie to a tree while I dismounted. I immediately pulled two of my three knives as Daryl swung his crossbow around out of the corner of my eye. We both crept up on the house quietly, weapons at the ready.

"You go around back." Daryl whispered, pointing to the door with his crossbow. "I'm goin' in the front."

I nodded, keeping to the side of the house as I slowly made my way to the back. The screen door I came to was ripped off its hinges. I held one knife out as I carefully and quietly stepped into the house. Just as I entered the home, I heard Daryl call out for Sophia. Then, there was an immediate response. The familiar sound of hissing reached my ears. There were walkers in the house.

I jogged up the hall just as I heard the sound of Daryl's crossbow firing. There was a thud a split second later, but the hissing continued. As I rounded the corner, I saw two walkers coming up on Daryl. He was pulling his knife when I aimed and threw one of mine at the walker closest to me. The knife pierced its skull, and the walker fell to the floor on top of the one Daryl had killed. Daryl was about to use his hunting knife on the third walker, but his eyes suddenly widened. I could tell by his reaction, and by the sudden noises behind me, that there was at least one more behind me. Within the same movement, I was sidestepping to the left so that Daryl could throw his hunting knife at the walker behind me, and I threw my second knife at the walker going after Daryl. I dove across the floor to retrieve both of my knives, flipping onto my back once I had them both in my possession. There had only been one walker behind me, and Daryl had put it down.

"Thanks." Daryl muttered over me.

"Yeah, you too." I replied, getting to my feet.

"I think that's the last of them." Daryl mumbled, pulling his arrow from the dead walker. "Sophia!"

I moved out into the hall. I didn't want to call out for Sophia just in case she was actually in the house. I didn't want an unfamiliar voice to frighten her.

"Shh." Daryl suddenly shooshed me, even though I had been silent.

I paused in the hall, waiting to hear what Daryl had heard. After a moment, I heard a sound coming from the basement. Before I could make my way to the door, Daryl had rushed past me and clomped down the stairs like a galloping horse. I followed after him. When I made it to the bottom of the stairs, I saw Daryl kneeling in front of a dryer.

"It's all right." Daryl was saying aloud in a soft tone I had never heard from him before. "It's okay, Sophia. You can come out."

I stayed off to the side. I didn't want my presence to scare Sophia.

"Your mama is waitin' for you at the place we been stayin'." Daryl continued in his soft tone. "We been lookin' everywhere for you."

I heard a small sob coming from the dryer.

"Come on, now." Daryl motioned with his hand. "I'm gonna take you to your mama."

I heard sounds coming from inside the dryer, and then Daryl was sticking his hands out. A pair of smaller hands grasped his, and then Sophia was climbing out of the dryer. She fell into Daryl when she was on her feet. He wrapped one arm around her.

"Can you walk?" Daryl asked, keeping his hand on Sophia's back.

I heard a response, muffled by Daryl's shirt, and then Sophia pulled away from him.

"This is Diana." Daryl swept an arm in my direction. "She's been helpin' me look for you."

"Hi, honey." I waved as Sophia looked over at me.

Sophia looked back up at Daryl.

"Is my mom really okay?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded. "We've been stayin' at a real nice farm. Everyone is fine."

"I'm so hungry…" Sophia suddenly said, her knees visibly shaking.

"Come on." Daryl quickly swung his crossbow onto his back so that he could lift Sophia up into his arms.

I followed Daryl up the stairs and out of the house. Suzie was where we had left her. While Daryl carried Sophia towards the horse, I hurried ahead of them. I rifled through the saddlebag. I pulled out one of the canteens and an apple I had tossed into the saddlebag the day before.

"Here you go, Sophia." I said, handing the apple to her.

Daryl gave me a strange look.

"What?" I asked.

"I thought…" Daryl shook his head. "Nothin'."

Sophia immediately began to crunch on the apple.

"All right, you should ride behind Sophia just in case she should get woozy." I said, untying Suzie from the tree. "You can still lead from behind, you just have to-"

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Daryl asked, lifting Sophia up onto the saddle before he turned around to look at me with the same strange expression as before.

"The saddle won't fit three people." I replied. "I'll take the second canteen and walk back, but you need to get Sophia back to the farm as soon as-"

"I ain't leavin' you." Daryl interrupted roughly, narrowing his eyes.

"Daryl, I'll be fine." I insisted, holding out the reigns to him. "I know my way back."

"I said I ain't leavin' you." Daryl snapped. "Get up there behind her, make sure she don't fall."

"Oh no." I waved my hands. "I'm not going to leave you behind either."

"You ain't." Daryl replied, taking the reigns from me. "I'll lead Suzie back to the farm on foot."

"That will take so much longer to get back to the farm, and Sophia needs to get checked out and properly fed." I argued, crossing my arms over my chest. "You need to ride back with her."

"Christ Almighty." Daryl hissed, kicking the ground. "You're the most stubborn woman I ever met."

"Thank you." I replied calmly.

"There were four walkers in that house…" Daryl suddenly stopped, taking a deep breath as his eyes fluttered closed. "Listen, I know you ain't my property. I ain't tryin' to treat you like…like you're mine…or nothin'…"

I could feel my expression softening.

"Sophia's been lost for a week." Daryl said, opening his eyes. "A few hours is nothin'."

I realized that, unlike Shane, Daryl wasn't trying to boss me around for the sake of being in control. He was looking out for me. I couldn't blame him for doing what he thought was right. I never tried to control Beth. I only wanted to watch out for her, take care of her. I could understand where Daryl was coming from.

"Okay." I agreed. "I'll come with you."

Daryl looked surprised.

"On one condition, though." I said suddenly, raising a finger.

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Halfway there, you and I are going to switch places." I said, mounting Suzie. "You're still healing."

"Fine." Daryl grumbled, tugging on Suzie's reigns. "Let's go."

0o0o0

When we got back, Daryl took Sophia to her mother while I put Suzie away. Annette's blouse was right where I had left it. I unbuttoned Daryl's shirt after Suzie was settled in her stall. As I was pulling it off of me, I heard footsteps from behind me.

"I have your shirt for you, Daryl." I said, turning to hand it over to him.

When I turned around, I came face to face with Shane. I lowered the shirt.

"What do you want?" I asked, hanging Daryl's shirt over the stall door so that I could put Annette's blouse back on.

"Hershel is looking Sophia over up at the house." Shane replied, leaning against a stall. "I came to see if you were all right, but I guess you thought I was someone else."

I ignored Shane as I slipped into Annette's blouse.

"What's goin' on between you two?" Shane asked from behind me.

"What business is that of yours?" I asked, turning to face Shane as I buttoned up my blouse. "I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not your wife. I'm not even your friend. Why is my business your business?"

Shane raised a thick eyebrow.

"You're the one who came onto me, honey." Shane replied.

"I didn't realize that making a pass at someone was the same as proposing marriage."

Shane chuckled.

"You got me all wrong." Shane shook his head. "I ain't interested in marriage. I liked what we had going."

Shane slowly walked towards me. As much as I wanted to continue being prickly towards him, if Shane was reopening the door to our physical relationship, I wasn't going to slam it shut. I needed to get close to Shane to have the opportunity to kill him.

"What do you say?" Shane asked, licking his lips as he looked down at me.

I grabbed the collar of Shane's shirt, pulling him in closer to me.

"I say okay," I brushed my lips over Shane's, "but the next time you think you can order me around, you can forget this."

Shane's lips crashed down over mine. He was kissing me so furiously that his teeth gnashed against mine as his mouth opened and closed against my lips. I wondered if it was pent up sexual tension, or if something had happened while I was gone to upset or anger him. Either way, I responded accordingly.

I pulled away from Shane when I felt my lips becoming red and bothered. I released him, shoving him back in the process.

"I'm going to clean up and see Beth." I said.

"I'll see you later then." Shane replied, his voice deep and husky from our kissing.

As Shane walked away, I went to get Daryl's shirt from the stall door I had hung it over. The shirt was missing. I had seen Shane walk away, so I knew he hadn't taken the shirt. I looked all over the stables for it, thinking that it might have fallen down or blown off. When I didn't find it, I gave up searching for it. Something told me that Daryl wouldn't mind not getting that shirt back.


	12. Diana

**Diana**

**Wolflihood: **You'll just have to wait and see…

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Ugh. I know! Shane is awful, but Diana is committed to taking him down. You'll find out who took Daryl's shirt later. I have a very specific event that will lead to Diana's discovery. You'll just have to keep reading to find out when that is!

**Mikki18: **Maybe. Maybe not. Haha.

**Guest: **I know!

**Leyshla Gisel: **You'll find out who took Daryl's shirt later.

**Alnihan: **Good, I'm glad!

**ScornedxRose: **You'll just have to see what happens! Here's your update!

**Guest: **Your review made me laugh! You'll find out who took Daryl's shirt later. Who wouldn't want to steal it though? I would totally steal Daryl's shirt…

**Maddy120296: **Diana needs to get close to Shane in order to put him in a situation where she can discreetly end him!

0o0o0

Daryl was taking watch when he heard the door to the house open behind him. He turned to see the weird woman coming out of the house. She sat down on one of the rocking chairs. She didn't rock. She just sat there, still in the night. Daryl shook his head as he watched her. She was all alone on the porch in the middle of the night. There was no weapon in her hand or resting in her lap that he could see. He was pretty sure he hadn't seen her bring one out. He realized that he needed to teach her a lesson. He was tired of everyone acting so stupid.

Silently, Daryl climbed down the ladder. He moved expertly through the campsite without making a sound like a lion stalking its prey. He snuck up on the house, quietly moving onto the porch from behind the strange woman in the rocking chair. As he got closer, he pulled his crossbow around, aiming it at the back of Diana's head. He was only a few feet away from her, but before he could get close enough to press the crossbow to her head, Diana suddenly reacted. Daryl heard something fall to the floor right before Diana fell. She rolled onto her back, three knives in her hand. They were aimed at Daryl, just as his crossbow was aimed at her. Suddenly, Daryl remembered what Diana had said the day they first met.

Daryl lowered his crossbow.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Diana asked from the floor.

"Well, I _was_ tryin' to prove a point, but…you kinda…"

Daryl looked at the knives in the Diana's hand. He thought he had seen her reach into her sleeve as she fell to the floor. He realized that they must have been hidden up her sleeve. All that time when he though she was prancing around without a weapon, she had been equipped with knives. He wondered what else she might have hiding under her clothes, what was in the purse at her waist.

"Kind of what?" Diana asked slowly, still keeping her knives on Daryl.

Daryl went to the railing. He leaned against it.

"You kinda surprised me." Daryl admitted.

"_I_ surprised _you_?" Diana asked, finally getting up from the floor. "_You_ snuck up on _me_."

"Yeah. 'Cause I thought you wasn't armed." Daryl replied.

"What?"

"I guess that's what you meant by what you said." Daryl said, keeping an eye on the campsite.

"What was that? Was that your idea of a test or something?"

Daryl ignored Diana's questions. He remembered the sound he had heard before she had fallen onto the porch. He spotted a fallen mug on the porch. There was a dark liquid pooled around it.

"What's that?" Daryl asked.

"It was coffee." Diana answered slowly. "Can we get back to-"

"Is there anymore? I haven't had coffee since all this went down." Daryl interrupted.

Diana stared at Daryl for a few moments before she picked up the mug she had dropped and went back into the house.

Daryl remembered the smell and the taste of coffee. It had been one of his vices before the world went to hell. Coffee, cigarettes, and whiskey were his weaknesses. If Daryl was set up with a cup of hot, black coffee spiked with a little Southern Comfort and a cigarette in his mouth, he was content. That was his heaven. It was simple things like that that Daryl missed.

When Diana returned, she shoved the hot mug into Daryl's hands. Despite the heat, Daryl gulped the coffee like it would be his last mug, and for all he knew, it would be. He could taste milk and sugar diluting the coffee. Ordinarily, he would have refused to drink it, but he made an exception.

"So…are you going to tell me why you came up on me like that?" Diana asked.

Daryl thought about answering her question, but he was too puzzled by Diana to answer. He had too many questions of his own. Starting with her clothing choices. Each time he had seen her, she wore the same silly blouses and skirts. That night, she was wearing a white nightgown that looked like it belonged on an old woman. A light colored shawl was draped around her shoulders.

"Why you dress like that?" Daryl asked.

"What?" Diana asked, looking down at herself.

"What're you tryin' out for _Little House On The Prairie_?"

"When 'all this went down', as you put it, I didn't think to pack a bag full of fashion forward clothing. I was more concerned with arming myself with weapons and protecting myself against the hordes of zombies-"

"Walkers." Daryl interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"Walkers." Daryl set down his empty mug. "We call 'em walkers."

"I don't care-"

"You know how to use them things?" Daryl asked, referring to her knives.

Daryl thought it was an appropriate question. Practically none of the members of the group knew how to properly use their weapons, but they carried them anyways. Daryl was curious if Diana knew how to use her knives, or if she just carried them because it was better than having nothing at all.

"Of course I know how to use them." Diana answered with the same attitude as before. "I'm not an imbecile."

Daryl was amused by the woman. He was starting to realize he had been wrong about her. Sure, she was still weird, but she wasn't as dumb as he previously thought. When he chuckled, Diana seemed to take offense.

"What? You think I _am_ an imbecile?" Diana asked.

"Naw. I don't think you're an idiot." Daryl replied honestly.

Daryl decided it was time to get back to his guard duty. He headed down the steps towards the RV. As he walked away, he remembered the milky, sweet coffee.

"I like my coffee black." Daryl said, continuing on his way.

Up on the roof, Daryl kept an eye on his surroundings, but his mind was on Diana. His first impressions of her had been that she was out of place and a dumbass. He thought she was just like Carol or Lori, but he had been wrong. He even thought she was smart. She kept her weapons hidden unless she needed them, making her a hidden threat. That was a good tactic, one Daryl could respect. If she really knew how to use those knives, maybe she wasn't so bad. Maybe she wasn't like the others.

0o0o0

The first thing Daryl remembered upon waking up at the bottom of the ridge was swearing that he had heard his name being called from above, but that was the least of his problems. A walker was tugging at his feet. Though he was dizzy and sore, Daryl sprang into action. Before he could do anything to get the walker off of him, it was suddenly falling backward.

"Daryl! Daryl! Daryl, look out!" A woman's voice from above called out to him.

Daryl turned his head to see a second walker staggering into the enclosure. It was coming right for him. Daryl knew what he had to do. He wrapped his hands around the arrow pierced through his side, and with all of his strength, he ripped it from his flesh. He didn't have time to worry about the blood he was losing as the walker got closer. He had to act fast. He immediately loaded the arrow into his crossbow, pulling back on the bowstave. Pain ripped through his side as he pulled, but he worked through the throbbing through his torso. When the bowstave clicked into place, Daryl lifted the crossbow just in time to kill the walker before it descended on him. It fell to the ground at the same time as Daryl.

"Daryl! Daryl, are you all right?!" The same voice shouted.

Daryl recognized it now that his life wasn't in imminent danger. It was Diana.

"I'm just fuckin' peachy!" Daryl yelled with all of his strength.

Daryl wondered how Diana had found him, or if she was with anyone else. He wondered how long he had been unconscious. It could have been minutes, hours, or days.

"I'm going to toss a rope down!" Diana shouted.

"I don't need a goddamn rope!" Daryl yelled.

Daryl tore off cloth to bind his side with. He pulled it tight, even though the throbbing became more violent. If it wasn't tied tight enough, he knew he could bleed out before getting back to the farm. When he was set, he got up to retrieve his arrow.

"Get my knives!" Diana shouted suddenly.

Daryl saw that one of Diana's knives was embedded in the head of the first walker. He had to admit that he was impressed. That must have been one hell of a throw.

"Damn!" Daryl pulled the knife out of the walker's head. "I guess you _do_ know how to use these!"

Daryl realized that Diana had said 'knives' instead of 'knife'. He easily spotted a second knife on the ground. He bent down to pick it up.

"Sort of, anyways!" Daryl shouted.

"Hey, I could have just left you to die, you know?!" Diana yelled back.

Despite the circumstances, Daryl couldn't help but chuckle to himself. As he stood up, and a burning pain ripped through his side, he suddenly became irritable. He was annoyed that he had been bucked off the damn horse that put him in the risky situation in the first place.

"I could have handled it! Now, shut up!"

Daryl started the long climb up. He gripped trees and rocks as he staggered up towards Diana. His limbs were heavy and his side throbbed every time he moved. He wanted to kill that horse. He was so wrapped up in his annoyance and pain that he bypassed the rope.

"Grab the rope!" Diana shouted.

"I told you I don't need it!" Daryl argued.

"Daryl, grab the rope! Grab it before I come down there after you, horse thief!"

"I ain't no horse thief." Daryl mumbled under his breath. "I only borrowed the damn thing…turned out to be a fuckin' nightmare anyways…"

Daryl used the rope to climb up. It took him a lot less time with the rope than it had without it, but he wasn't going to admit that to Diana. He started to climb faster as he got closer to the top.

"Come on. You're almost there." Diana said, holding out one hand to Daryl.

Daryl managed to make it the rest of the way up the hill. He tiredly swung his heavy arm up towards Diana, who caught him by the wrist. She grabbed onto his hand, pulling him up. With their combined strength, Daryl staggered onto the ridge. When he was away from the edge, Daryl threw himself to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked.

"Do I look okay?"

"No, but I wasn't sure if you needed immediate medical assistance."

"I'll be all right." Daryl sighed. "Damn."

"What happened to you?" Diana asked.

"That damn horse…it got spooked by a damn snake, bucked me off."

"What were you thinking taking a horse you knew nothing about, _and_ without permission?" Diana asked. "The horse you took is called Nelly. She's very skittish-"

"Understatement." Daryl interrupted.

"Hershel would have given you a different horse to ride."

"What's done is done." Daryl replied, starting to get up from the ground.

"Let me help you." Diana said, quickly getting to her feet before Daryl.

Daryl looked up at Diana's hand. He accepted it, allowing her to pull him up, but only because he felt like a bag of wet cement. He groaned as his side pulsed violently.

Daryl suddenly realized that there were two horses tied to a nearby tree. He recognized one of them as Nelly, the horse that had bucked him off. He glared at it as though it would understand his anger.

"Now, we don't want Nelly to buck you off again. You'll have to ride behind me." Diana said as she untied both horses from the tree.

Daryl already felt like a pussy since Diana had killed one of the walkers, lowered a rope to him, and had helped him up twice. He wasn't about to ride bitch too. He knew his brother would be hounding him if he was there. He would never hear the end of it from Merle.

"No, _you_ can ride behind _me_." Daryl argued.

Diana turned, giving Daryl the smile she had given him that day in the woods. He knew he wasn't going to get his way as she mounted the second horse. While he watched her climb on the horse, he suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing a blouse or a skirt. She was dressed more like the other women. Her new clothes made her look different. He would have noticed sooner it weren't for all of the excitement he had experienced that day.

"I don't think so." Diana said.

Daryl climbed on behind Diana, too tired to argue with her any longer.

"My knives." Diana said, holding her hand out to Daryl.

Daryl pulled Diana's knives from his pocket. He was about to place them in her hand, but he noticed the sheath at her arm. It was actually visible because of the short sleeves on her T-shirt. Daryl reached out to grip the sheath while he slid both knives into their appropriate places. When he looked up from the knives, he realized that Diana was watching him.

Daryl knew that Diana had probably saved his life, but he would never tell her that.

"Thanks. For what you did, I mean…"

"Don't mention it." Diana replied, turning around. "Hold on if you need to."

From the beginning, the ride was causing Daryl a lot of discomfort, but he knew that traveling by horse would get him back to the farm faster than on foot. He tried to concentrate on other things so that the pain would be at the back of his mind. He looked down, realizing that the shirt Diana was wearing was slightly too small for her. It rode up, revealing the small of her back. Before he realized he was doing it, Daryl had reached out to gently pull Diana's shirt down. When he caught himself mid act, he stopped. He looked elsewhere.

Suddenly, Diana was guiding his hand to her front. Daryl was surprised when Diana placed his hand on her thigh. She didn't turn or glance behind her to say anything. She continued leading the horse as though Daryl's hand on her thigh was no big deal. Daryl would have pulled his hand away, but he realized that in leaning forward to keep his hand in place, the pain in his side lessened slightly. He kept his hand on Diana's thigh, but he was careful not to grip her or dig his fingers into her. He focused on the feeling of the soft suede under his palm.

0o0o0

"How's he looking?" Rick asked from beside Daryl.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel replied as he bandaged the area he had stitched up.

Rick felt guilty. He knew that Hershel and his family had already done so much for he and his group. He made a mental note to ask Glenn to pick up more antibiotics on his next trip into town.

"Was Nelly all right?" Hershel asked.

"If she's smart, she left the country." Daryl grumbled.

"We call her Nelly, as in-"

"Nervous Nelly?" Daryl asked, looking over his shoulder at Hershel. "Yeah, Diana told me."

"Diana?" Shane asked. "When did you talk to Diana?"

"She's the one who found me." Daryl replied, looking down at the bandages covering up his stitches.

"Is she okay?" Rick asked. "We didn't see her when Andrea and Dale brought you-"

"She's fine." Daryl interrupted, laying his head down on the pillow. "She was puttin' Nelly and the other horse away last I heard."

"I'll check on her." Shane volunteered, getting to his feet.

"That's quite all right." Hershel said, already heading for the door. "I'd like to check on my horses. I'll speak with Diana."

Shane sat back down as Hershel left the bedroom.

"Did you see any walkers while you were at the ridge?" Rick asked, rolling up the map.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded against the soft pillow. "There were two."

"Were you able to take care of them?"

"Diana got one with her knife." Daryl closed his eyes as drowsiness settled over him. "I took care of the other one."

"I had no idea Diana carried a knife." Rick said, turning to glance back at Shane.

"Didn't I tell you?" Shane asked, rubbing his nose. "When we were taking care of the walker in the well, it grabbed a hold of Beth. Before any of us could help her, Diana pulls a knife out of nowhere, throws it at the walker. She killed it."

"I didn't know…" Rick scratched the back of his neck.

"She's full of surprises." Shane chuckled.

0o0o0

Daryl woke up some time after Carol had brought him dinner. He shifted around in bed, trying to get comfortable. His side ached and he wasn't used to sleeping in a bed. As he moved around in bed, he stretched too far. Pain tore through his side, and he groaned.

"Daryl?"

Daryl heard Diana's voice on the other side of the door, but before he could respond, the door was opening. Daryl pulled the sheet up over himself to make sure Diana didn't see him naked. He glared up at her as she stood in the doorway looking at him.

"You ever hear of knockin'?" Daryl asked grumpily.

"I'm sorry, but I thought something was wrong. I heard you groaning."

Daryl felt embarrassed that Diana had heard him groaning in pain. She had already seen him at his most vulnerable. He didn't want her to see him that way again. He didn't want anyone to see him like that.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Diana asked.

Daryl could tell by the look of the night through the windows that it was late.

"What are you doin' up?" Daryl asked.

Daryl watched with surprise as Diana invited herself into the bedroom. She made herself comfortable in the armchair adjacent to the bed. Everything the woman did was a mystery to Daryl. In a lot of ways, she acted just like him. She did what she wanted when she wanted, and she didn't seem to care what anyone else had to say about it. She was so unlike Carol, who had been so timid and shy when she brought Daryl a tray.

"I was just thinking. How do you feel about Rick and Shane?" Diana asked.

The question caught Daryl off guard. He wondered why Diana was asking about them.

"You're weird." Daryl replied.

"Look who's talking." Diana responded quickly.

Daryl thought about what Diana had said to him in the woods that day. He could hear the words echoing in his head, could see the slick grin stretched across her face. He tried to mimic that grin as he repeated those words she had said to him.

"Looks can be deceivin'."

"Touché." Diana said, giving Daryl a sort of bow.

Daryl couldn't help but laugh.

"You're odd."

"What can I say?" Diana shrugged. "Now, about my question…?"

Daryl became serious again, any trace of amusement disappearing from his face.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"I don't know anything about them, about any of you really. I guess I just want to know what the men camping outside of this house are like."

Daryl didn't know why Diana was asking him about Rick and Shane. Then again, Daryl hadn't seen Diana do much talking to anyone else in his group. He wondered if he was the only one Diana spoke to the way she did, aside from Hershel and his family. She seemed close with them, especially Hershel's youngest daughter.

"Rick's all right." Daryl finally answered. "I thought he was an asshole at first, but he's been good for the group. He's made some good decisions…I don't know."

"That seems fair. What about Shane?" Diana asked.

Daryl thought about Shane. He hated the man. He always had. From the beginning, Shane had been out to get him and his brother. When Merle got left behind in the city, Daryl could tell that Shane was glad to be rid of him. Daryl knew it would only make him happier if he would disappear too. Even though Daryl hated Rick's guts at first, he came to realize that he was a much better leader then Shane.

Then, after Otis was killed at the high school, Daryl began to notice a change in Shane. It wasn't just his haircut. He seemed almost threatened by Rick. He was much moodier than before. Anything and everything that went on in camp seemed to set Shane off. If things didn't go his way, he took it personally. That was when Daryl finally noticed the gun Shane toted. It was a rifle that didn't belong to him. It didn't take Daryl long to discover who the rifle had belonged to. It had belonged to Otis. Shane was carrying a dead man's gun, and Daryl knew why. Shane had killed Otis.

Daryl knew Diana was close with Hershel and his family. He didn't want to lie about what kind of man Shane was. That wasn't Daryl's way.

"I don't know if I should talk about him with you." Daryl finally said.

When Diana stood suddenly, she startled Daryl. He pulled the sheet closer as she sat down on the edge of the bed. He was about to ask her what she was doing, but then she spoke.

"You saw it?" Diana asked.

For Daryl, it clicked immediately. Diana knew about the rifle.

"Yeah. Yeah I saw it." Daryl replied.

"I thought I was alone. I didn't know that anyone else suspected anything. It makes me feel better to know that I'm not alone, that I'm not crazy…"

While Diana spoke, Daryl became very aware of how close they were. He had been so wrapped up in their conversation, and wondering about Diana's interest in Rick and Shane, that he hadn't noticed until that moment that she was wet. Her brown hair was dripping onto the thin robe she was wearing. Where the robe was wet, it stuck to Diana's skin. Daryl could see the outline of her nipples through the damp fabric. The scent of soap coming off of her and the shape of her breasts was making Daryl's stomach tighten. He could feel himself getting hard beneath the sheet, and tried to adjust himself subtly so as not to draw attention to his erection.

"I'm sorry." Diana stood just as suddenly as before. "I didn't mean to just waltz in here and keep you awake. I just wanted to check on you, and now that I know you're all right, I'll go."

Then, Daryl felt a twinge of guilt in his constricted stomach. He knew Diana was obviously wrestling with herself over discovering the truth about Shane and Otis. He tried to think about his search for Sophia. If someone had information about her whereabouts, Daryl would want to be told.

"Diana?"

Diana turned to face Daryl, and he was suddenly struck by the outline of her figure in the robe now that she was standing directly in the lamplight. He was glad his back was to her.

"You're one weird lady, but you ain't crazy." Daryl said.

"Thank you." Diana nodded. "Goodnight."

When Diana was gone, Daryl turned his head to face the wall. He willed his erection to soften, but when it didn't, he moved a hand under the sheet. If the only way to get rid of it was to rub one out, then that's what he was going to do. He wanted to go to sleep, but he knew he wouldn't be able to with his dick as hard as it was. He started to stroke himself, keeping his mind blank. Every few seconds, Diana's breasts would flicker through his head. There was just enough there to fill his hands. He wondered what they would feel like against his palms.

Daryl stopped touching himself. He refused to think of Diana as he masturbated. He knew what kind of man he was. He was from a broken, fucked up home. He barely had a cent to his name. When his name was uttered in public, people would whisper and gossip all about him and his brother. He was trash, and he knew he was trash. Even though he knew almost nothing about her, Daryl knew that Diana wasn't trash. He knew she was the kind of woman who had men, classy, well off men, lined up to be with her. In a million years, Daryl could never have Diana, even if he wanted her.

So, against his primal instinct, Daryl ignored his pulsating erection. He laid against the pillows with his eyes shut tight, praying for sleep to take him so that he wouldn't have to think about it anymore.

0o0o0

Early the next morning, Daryl slipped out of the house and went to his tent. He didn't feel comfortable in the house. He wanted to be in his familiar tent with the same sleeping bag he had used on camping and hiking trips for years. Surrounded by the scent of the outdoors, Daryl relaxed in his tent.

"Good morning."

Daryl tensed up the moment he heard her voice above him.

"What do you want now?" Daryl asked roughly. "You wanna know if Shane wears boxers or briefs?"

"No thanks." Diana laughed. "I brought you something to eat."

Daryl didn't understand Diana. Why was she talking to him so much all of a sudden? What did she want from him? The only way a woman like her would speak to him is if she needed something from him, and Daryl had nothing to offer her. She made him feel on edge, but at the same time, the sight of her smile or the sound of her laugh put him at ease. Daryl hated the inconsistency.

"I ain't a charity case." Daryl replied.

"Daryl, it's scrambled eggs and a few slices of bacon. I promise you can feed yourself and everything."

Daryl was hungry, and the temptation of bacon was too much for him to resist.

"Bacon?" Daryl asked.

"Bacon. _Real_ bacon."

Daryl leaned forward to open the flap for Diana. He moved back as she came into his tent. As Diana settled down inside, she handed the plate to Daryl. He immediately went for the bacon. It was just like the cup of coffee she had given him the other night. It took him back to simpler times.

"So…what do you want?" Daryl asked.

"I'm just going to come out and ask you this…are you someone that I can trust?" Diana asked.

Daryl knew he had been right. Diana wanted something from him. That was why she was being so nice to him, why she was talking to him.

"Christ Almighty…is that what you came out here for?"

"I need to know if I can trust you. Can I?" Diana asked.

"Why do you wanna trust me? Why can't you trust that Greene girl always taggin' along after you, or her daddy? Why you gotta trust me?" Daryl asked.

Daryl didn't want Diana to put her trust in him. That only meant she would come around more.

"Because you know the truth about Otis." Diana whispered.

Daryl should have guessed it had something to do with Shane, but he wasn't sure exactly what she wanted from him. He stared at Diana, trying to figure out what favor she was going to ask of him. He wondered if Diana was the kind of person who would want Daryl to hurt Shane.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked.

"I've been suspicious of Shane from the very beginning. When I saw him with Otis' rifle, I knew that I was right about him."

"So…what does this have to do with me?" Daryl asked, wanting Diana to get to the point.

"When I was first suspicious of him, I decided to investigate. I could tell that he wanted me-"

"Whoa. What do you mean he _wanted_ you?" Daryl asked, confused.

"You know…he _wanted_ me." Diana replied quietly.

Images from the night before fluttered through Daryl's mind. He could feel his face growing hot as the realization set in. Daryl looked away from Diana so that she wouldn't see him blushing. He was already uncomfortable before, but his discomfort was growing as the seconds ticked by.

"Oh…"

"So…I decided to use that to my advantage. I led him to think that I wanted him back, that way, I could get close to him without drawing suspicion."

"Okay, so what?" Daryl asked.

"Well, now that I know what he did…I want to do something about it." Diana replied gravely.

Daryl looked up at Diana, and for the first time during their conversation, he understood what Diana was getting at.

"You talkin' 'bout killin' him?" Daryl asked.

Then, it was Diana's turn to look down. Daryl watched her as she decided whether or not to answer his question. After a few moments, she raised her eyes to his.

"Yes." Diana replied.

"…and you want me to do it?" Daryl asked.

"No." Diana answered quickly. "No. I want to do it."

Diana continued to surprise Daryl. He thought for sure that Diana was asking him to kill Shane, but then, what _did_ she want from him?

"You sure you can handle that?"

"Trust me. I can handle it." Diana replied confidently.

Something about the way Diana responded to his question made Daryl think there was much more to her than met the eye. She was harboring a story or two that, if he knew, would explain a lot about why she was the way she was. He was coming to find that the mystery surrounding Diana was drawing him in. She was like bait on a fishing hook, and he was swimming right for her.

"Okay…so what do you need my help for?" Daryl asked.

"Well, I can't just run up behind Shane and stab him in the back. I have to be very careful and very quiet when I do this. Nobody can suspect that he was murdered."

"That's gonna be a fuckin' challenge."

"I know it is, but I'm hoping that you can help me come up with some kind of plan."

"Why should I help you?" Daryl asked.

"You _should_ help me because it's the right thing to do, but I'm not going to make you help me. I figured that I would ask for your help and see if you were interested. If you aren't, I can come up with something on my own."

Daryl laid back on his pillow. He thought it over in his head. Shane was a ticking time bomb. Diana might have the right idea to take him out before he could explode and kill a member of the group. If he was going to help her, that meant sticking his neck out. That was when he thought of Sophia. After taking Hershel's horse, the old man wasn't going to loan him another. Unless…

"What if I said I wanted somethin' in return?"

"Then I would ask what you wanted. I don't have much, but-"

"I want you to help me look for Sophia." Daryl interrupted.

"Really? Why?" Diana asked.

"Havin' a horse helped me cover more ground yesterday, but the old man is never gonna lend me one after I snatched Nelly. Maybe if you were with me, the old man would let us have a horse, maybe even two. The more ground I cover, the faster I'll find Sophia."

"That's all you want? You just want me to help you look for the girl?"

"You think I wanted you like Shane?" Daryl asked, feeling embarrassed after blushing in Diana's presence earlier when Shane was mentioned.

Suddenly, Diana moved towards Daryl. He stiffened as she set a hand on his knee. His eyes watched her hand as it slowly moved down his knee and then up his thigh. He was hoping that the effect she'd had on him the night before wouldn't reoccur as her hand laid against his thigh.

"Daryl, I _know_ that deep down, some part of you wants me." Diana purred.

Before Daryl could react, Diana removed her hand from his body. She held it out to him.

"I accept your deal."

Daryl stared at her hand, quickly shaking it when he felt his pants growing tighter.

"Okay." Daryl said quickly, ripping his hand from hers.

"All right." Diana nodded with a smile. "I'll come and find you tomorrow. We'll ride bright and early."

Thankfully, Diana left Daryl's tent before she could see the one pitched in his pants.

0o0o0

After Diana woke Daryl the next morning, he got himself up and ready. He slipped into his only pair of jeans and a clean shirt, clean loosely defined. When his crossbow was strapped to his back, he headed down to the stables to meet Diana. She was dressed in the same white T-shirt and riding pants she had worn when she found him at the ridge. Daryl looked down at the ground to avoid becoming aroused by Diana's appearance. When he did glance up at her, he noticed that she was staring at him.

"What're you lookin' at?" Daryl asked.

"Are you sure you're up to going out today?" Diana asked. "I could go myself, or we could just put it-"

"No. I gotta get out there now before the trail goes cold."

Daryl watched Diana get the horse ready. He couldn't help but run his eyes over the small of her back, but when his eyes started traveling lower, Daryl ripped them away from her entirely.

"You ready to go yet?" Daryl asked.

"If you want to speed things along, why don't you fill those canteens? There's a spigot over there." Diana suggested, motioning to two canteens nearby.

Daryl did just that, but only because he wanted to get his mind off of the way Diana looked in her riding clothes and focused on the task at hand. He mumbled under his breath to keep himself occupied as he filled the canteens. His pep talk was beginning to work. He kept Sophia's face in his mind for inspiration.

"Are you always this pleasant in the morning?" Diana asked.

"Maybe if you'd brought me some coffee…"

"Sorry." Diana replied. "Ready?"

"I ain't ridin' bitch today." Daryl grumbled, wanting to reclaim his control after having it ripped from him out in the woods.

Daryl ignored Diana when she tried to protest. He climbed up into the saddle.

"Proud are you?" Diana asked, reaching up to get on behind Daryl.

When Daryl tried to offer his hand to Diana, she slapped it away. Daryl nearly grinned.

"Look who's talkin'." Daryl muttered instead.

When Daryl took off, he noticed that Diana didn't hold onto him. Part of him was glad for that. He didn't need her distracting him from finding Sophia by touching him or wrapping her arms around him. She would have only made things worse for him. On the other hand, Daryl couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to have Diana's hands so close to his crotch. When his mind started wandering away from Sophia, Daryl dragged himself kicking and screaming back to his current mission.

0o0o0

When Suzie needed to be watered, Daryl settled down next to the creek. He watched as Diana pulled Suzie into the water. She stroked the horse while she drank. It was funny to see a woman who could be as confident and tough as Diana being so soft and gentle. She almost looked like a different person entirely with a peaceful expression and a more relaxed posture. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, one she carried with her always.

As Daryl watched her, his eyes fell upon a very visible scar on Diana's arm. He knew it was the one he had overheard Glenn telling Dale about. Glenn had told Dale about Diana sewing T-Dog up herself. When Dale asked how she was able to do that, Glenn explained that Diana had stitched herself up once when she fell into a mirror. As Daryl studied the scar, he knew there was no way Diana had just fallen accidentally into a mirror. The scar was too jagged and messy to be accidental. It had taken some force to get a scar that size and that depth.

"What?" Diana asked when she noticed Daryl's stare.

"Where'd you get that?" Daryl asked, wondering if Diana would tell him the same story.

"Do you want to hear the story I've been telling people, or do you want to hear the truth?"

"Whichever you wanna tell me I guess, or neither. I don't care."

"I fell into a mirror." Diana finally replied.

"Is that what you been tellin' people?"

"You could tell that I was lying?"

"I overheard Glenn tellin' Dale you stitched yourself up after fallin' into a mirror. Anyways, I can tell the difference between somethin' accidental and somethin' done on purpose."

"So…you have a scar or two yourself?" Diana asked.

Daryl began to peel the bark off of a stick he had picked up with his knife.

"Maybe.

"I got into a fight…I was younger then, not as skilled as I am now…I tried to get away from him, but he was too strong…My arm went through a window…"

As Diana spoke, Daryl watched her carefully. Though he didn't know her well, he knew she was telling him the truth. Daryl wondered if Diana's encounter with her attacker was why she was so adamant about wanting to kill Shane. He knew something had to have happened to her to lead her down that path. Carol or Lori would have never suggested killing Shane, even if they knew the truth about what he had done. Daryl knew there was a reason behind Diana's decision.

"But I survived, stitched this up, and here I am." Diana finished her story with a smile.

That was the end of it. Diana led Suzie across the creek. Daryl got up from where he had been sitting and followed silently behind her until they reached the ridge.

"You probably didn't get a good look down there, did you?" Diana asked.

"I was busy bleedin'." Daryl snapped.

"I didn't mean anything by that. I was just thinking that it might be a good idea for me to have a look around."

"You?"

"Well, it probably isn't a good idea for you to risk your life again getting down there."

"How're you gonna get down there without killin' yourself?"

"I have an idea." Diana said, reaching into the saddlebag. "There's rope here. I could take one end, and tie the other to Suzie. I could use the rope to climb safely down, then back up."

So, a few minutes later, Diana was making her way down to the enclosure at the bottom. Daryl held onto Suzie's reigns, watching Diana as she climbed down.

"You better not mess around like your friend." Daryl threatened Suzie, holding her steady.

When Diana made it down safely, Daryl let go of Suzie's reigns.

"You okay up there?!" Diana shouted up to Daryl.

"I ain't the one climbin' up and down this deathtrap! Get lookin'!" Daryl yelled back.

Daryl watched Diana slowly pace up and down the bottom, scanning the area for any sign of Sophia. He began to wonder if he should have let her go down there instead of going down there himself. He wasn't sure Diana knew what to look for, and if Daryl was good at anything, it was tracking.

"I'm going to check the water!" Diana suddenly yelled.

Before Daryl could shout back, Diana pulled her shirt off over her head. Even from the top from where he stood, Daryl could admire Diana's figure as she undressed. She wore a white bra and a pair of white panties underneath her clothes. Daryl could feel the heat building in his stomach as his dick stiffened in his pants. Luckily for him, Diana was too far away to notice. Still, Daryl didn't want Diana to take his silence as a sign that he was gawking at her.

"Is this free?!" Daryl shouted.

Diana didn't reply. Daryl watched her wade into the water, then disappear beneath it. He wasn't sure if she would find anything in the water, but he wasn't going to discourage her from looking. For all he knew, there might be a clue to Sophia's whereabouts beneath the surface.

As Daryl watched, he suddenly realized that he and Diana weren't alone. There was a walker staggering into the enclosure.

"Fuck." Daryl hissed, watching as a second walker staggered in after the first.

Daryl whipped his crossbow to his front, taking aim at the first walker. He hoped that his shooting the walker would distract the second one from Diana in the water, though he was pretty sure neither of the walkers noticed her swimming underwater. He took his shot, watching as the arrow pierced right through the walker's head. It fell to the ground as Daryl returned his crossbow to his back. Before heading down, Daryl pulled the horse blanket from beneath the saddle.

As Daryl reached for the rope, a third walker entered the enclosure. A feeling seized Daryl's heart as he quickly used the rope to climb down. Diana had left her knives behind with her clothes. She had no way of defending herself in the water. Daryl was going to have to kill the walkers before she came out of the water and got their attention. Even though it caused him discomfort, Daryl practically slid the entire way down the hill, the rope between his hands.

When Daryl reached the bottom, he wasted no time in grabbing two of Diana's knives. One of the walkers had already walked past where Daryl came down, but the other was coming right for him. Daryl waited until it was close enough, then stabbed it in the head with Diana's knife. The commotion got the attention of the remaining walker. Daryl used the second knife to bring down the last walker. When he pulled both knives loose, the walkers fell to the ground.

Daryl saw Diana coming to him as she came up out of the water.

"Are you-"

"You should've taken your knives with you." Daryl snapped.

"I didn't want to lose them." Diana replied.

"Instead, I had to hurry on down here and take care of business."

"Well, if I hadn't gone in the water, I wouldn't have found this."

Diana shoved something into Daryl's chest before stomping past him. Daryl looked down to see what it was. He recognized it immediately. It was Sophia's doll. He looked back up at Diana as she reached down to pull Daryl's arrow from the dead walker. He felt a twinge of guilt for snapping at her. Daryl would have never taken his crossbow into the water.

While Diana retrieved his arrow, Daryl went to where he had dropped the horse blanket. He took it to Diana as she turned around. Daryl immediately looked away from Diana's dripping wet body. He knew he would have been able to see through her white bra and underwear. He didn't want his erection to return.

"I brought this for you."

Diana took the blanket from Daryl.

"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of-"

"Don't mention it." Daryl replied.

Daryl cleaned his arrow and Diana's knives as she dried off. He didn't dare look at her, not until she was as dry as she could get and dressed. When he looked up at her, he saw that her shirt was wet where her bra was soaking through the material. The woman was killing him.

Daryl started up the hill first. He wanted to be in front of Diana for many reasons, one of which being that he wouldn't be able to look at her if she was behind him.

When he reached the top, Daryl stood up. Then, Suzie reared up. Daryl was reminded of Nervous Nelly. He was about to grab Suzie's reigns to pull her down, but then he remembered Diana. He spun around as Diana fell into the hill. He felt the same feeling as before wrapping around his heart as he immediately dove forward.

"Diana!" Daryl shouted. "Grab on!"

Daryl watched as Diana tried to stretch up far enough to reach his hand.

"Come on!" Daryl yelled, straining to get his hand down to Diana.

The second time Diana tried for Daryl's hand, they were able to grab onto one another. Daryl tightened his grip on Diana as she pulled herself up. He helped her up the hill, only releasing her hand once she was standing beside him. The day had been full of excitement.

"Your stitches…" Diana said suddenly.

Daryl looked down at his side. Blood was soaking through his shirt. He hadn't even realized until Diana pointed it out, but once she had, he could feel the sting of his stitches having been torn open.

"It's nothin'." Daryl insisted.

"It's not nothing. I have to stitch you back up."

"That can wait."

"What good are you to me or Sophia if you bleed to death or get an infection?" Diana asked, having fished a first aid kit out of the saddlebag. "Now, lay down somewhere so that I can fix you up."

Daryl reluctantly laid down on the ground so that Diana could fix his stitches. He knew she could do it, but he wasn't keen on taking the time to do it out in the woods. He also wasn't sure about he and Diana being close. He couldn't trust his manhood around her.

"Is this free?" Diana asked, mimicking Daryl's joke from before when she lifted his shirt.

Daryl felt his face getting hot, so he turned his head away from Diana. He tried to think of anything he could to keep his mind off of her fingers so close to his skin.

When it was time for them to head back to the farm, Daryl rode behind Diana. He figured it was only fair for her to take the lead since he had that morning. It was hard to avoid the close proximity riding on the same horse, but after fighting it all day, Daryl didn't mind. He knew he would never have her. In a million years he could never have someone like Diana. The only girls he had ever shared a bed with were the girls he ran into out at the bars and dives he hung out in with his brother. Diana would have never set foot in places like that. She was too good for those kinds of places.

Daryl remembered the feeling of her thigh. He wanted to feel it again. He took a chance, moving his arm around Diana so that he could lay his hand on her thigh. When Diana didn't fidget or complain, Daryl laid his hand heavier against her thigh. He felt the warmth of her skin through her pants. Having his hand on her body was exciting him. He could feel the heat building deep within. He wanted nothing more than to have Diana in his bed, but he knew that would never happen.

As they broke through the trees, Daryl came to his senses. He removed his hand from Diana. Why torture himself?


	13. Don't

**Don't**

**Leyshla Gisel: **I'm sorry to disappoint!

**ScornedxRose: **Aww. I'm glad. Daryl can be so awkward sometimes!

0o0o0

I sat out on the front porch while Hershel looked Sophia over. Rick, Lori, and Carl were all inside waiting to hear how the little girl was doing. Everyone in camp seemed to be standing around, waiting to hear news regarding Sophia's condition. The only person I didn't see standing still in camp was Daryl. I hadn't seen him since we had parted ways so that he could take Sophia up to the house. I figured he was probably exhausted after coming to the end of his search, one that brought him a lot of grief and pain.

I heard the door open behind me, and turned to see Hershel standing on the porch.

"How is she?" I asked as Hershel walked towards me.

"She'll be just fine." Hershel replied, settling down next to me on the stairs. "Patricia and Beth are making her something to eat right now. She hasn't had a decent meal in days."

"She probably hasn't had a decent meal in weeks." I said, looking down at the ground.

"Are you all right?" Hershel asked. "Were you injured at all on your outing?"

"No. I'm okay." I assured him, turning my head to look at him. "You should give Suzie an entire sack of sugar cubes for being such a trooper, though."

Hershel smiled softly.

"I know that it's been hard for you, and for Beth, with all of these new people around." Hershel said suddenly, surprising me. "You don't need to worry. The boy, Carl, is healing nicely and Sophia has been found. Once she is well enough to travel, they should be on their way very soon."

I didn't feel relief wash over me like it would have before all of the events that had taken place. I looked out at the campsite. Shane was standing with Andrea and Dale. He still wasn't dead, and I still hadn't been given the opportunity to kill him discreetly. I didn't want the group leaving until I had taken care of that murderer. I had to avenge Otis' death and seek justice for Patricia.

"Right." I nodded, giving Hershel a smile. "Then things will be back to normal."

0o0o0

Later that day, Lori came up to the house to let me know that Carol was looking for me. I thought she was with her daughter, but Lori directed me to the tent she had been sleeping in. Apparently she was getting some things together to take in for Sophia. When I approached her tent, she nearly tripped because she got out of her tent so quickly to greet me.

"I haven't gotten to say thank you yet." Carol said right away.

"There's no need to thank me." I replied, waving my hand. "All I did was watch Daryl's back and get him the horse he needed. He did all of the leg work."

"I _do_ need to thank you." Carol insisted, closing the distance between us. "…have you ever had a child, Diana?"

"No." I shook my head.

"You wouldn't understand, then, but I would get down and kiss your feet if you asked me to."

"There's no need for that." I said.

"Well, I won't kiss your feet, but I already spoke with Hershel. I want to cook dinner for everyone in honor of Sophia being found."

"That sounds like a great idea." I replied enthusiastically.

"It's the least I can do." Carol said. "After dinner, everyone thought it would be nice to have a fire. It's been a long time before all of us have been able to sit around and enjoy each other's company. I invited Hershel, his daughters, and Patricia. I would love it if you came."

"Count me in." I said with a smile.

"Good." Carol returned my smile. "Well, I better get these things inside."

I watched Carol go. As I turned my head, I noticed Daryl standing near his tent. He was watching me. I didn't know how long he had been watching. When our eyes met, I gave him a wave. The expression on his face remained the same as he walked out of camp in the direction of the barn. I became worried that he would try and go into the barn, so I immediately went after him.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hastening after him.

Daryl turned his head to glance back at me before he continued on his way.

"What does it look like I'm doin'?" Daryl asked. "I'm walkin'."

"Where are you headed?" I asked, catching up to him.

"Why is my business your business?" Daryl shot back without missing a beat.

"Whoa." I caught Daryl's wrist. "Did I do something to you?"

Daryl flinched when I grabbed his wrist, then pulled away from me once he recovered.

"Naw." Daryl shook his head. "I just wanna be by myself. Is that all right with you?"

"That's fine." I replied calmly. "I'll be out of your hair in a minute. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?" Daryl grumbled.

"Carol says she wants to cook dinner for everyone tomorrow night. She also said something about having a fire at your camp afterward." I said, standing still as Daryl and I spoke.

"So?" Daryl asked roughly, clearly wanting our conversation to end.

"Well, Shane approached me about continuing our relationship." I replied quietly. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah. I got it." Daryl snapped. "What's your point?"

"My point is, maybe tomorrow night is the chance I've been looking for." I explained. "If we're all hanging out around the fire, I could get a little suggestive with Shane, lead him to his tent…"

I noticed that Daryl was becoming visibly agitated. I decided to hurry things along so that he could have the alone time that he was looking for.

"Anyways, what do you think? Do you think that sounds like a good plan, or do you think people would get suspicious if they saw Shane and I go off together-"

"Sounds good." Daryl interrupted. "Sounds great."

I couldn't help but feel slighted. I had agreed to help Daryl, even though my helping him put my mission on hold, but he wasn't holding up his end of the deal. Time was running out.

"I don't know what your problem is, but I really wish that you could put whatever it is aside for a few minutes to help me like you said you would." I said, folding my arms over my chest.

"Seems like you got it all under control." Daryl shrugged. "What do you need my help for?"

"The point is that I kept my word. I really thought that you would keep yours, and it's really disappointing to realize that isn't the case at all." I replied.

"I never said you could trust me." Daryl snapped. "I never said I was a good guy. I ain't."

"Oh really?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Tell that to the little girl you nearly killed yourself trying to find."

Daryl opened his mouth to say something, but his lips quickly closed and formed a scowl.

"Are you having second thoughts about Shane?" I asked. "Is that what this is about?"

Daryl looked down at the ground for several moments. Then, he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

"No." Daryl shook his head. "Shane's gotta go."

"Okay." I nodded. "Good. Now, do you think that Rick or the others will be suspicious if Shane and I leave the fire together before he winds up dead?"

Daryl sighed and kicked the ground.

"I guess it depends. How you gonna do it?" Daryl asked.

"You let me worry about that." I replied.

"If you got some kinda alibi for where you was when he died, I guess nobody can suspect you did somethin' to him." Daryl said, rubbing his chin.

"Alibi?" I asked, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"I got some history with police protocol." Daryl replied with a shrug.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to come up with some sort of alibi."

"You gotta make sure you got someone to say they saw you doin' whatever it is you're gonna say you were doin'." Daryl pointed out. "Otherwise, it's just your word against Shane bein' dead and you bein' the last person with him."

I began to think of who I could count on. I didn't want to drag Beth into anything. Maggie certainly wouldn't agree to cover for me.

"I…uh…I could…"

Daryl cleared his throat.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothin'." Daryl shook his head.

"What is it?"

"I could…I could say you was…with me…" Daryl quickly looked back down at the ground.

I grinned.

"You would do that for me?" I asked.

"Why not?" Daryl mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "You helped me out. I said I'd help you out. I guess this is me helpin' you out."

"Okay." I nodded. "I'm okay with that."

Daryl looked up at me with a furrowed brow.

"You are?" Daryl asked, like he was surprised.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, confused by his shock.

"You don't care what the others'll think?"

"No." I put my hands on my hips. "Do I strike you as the type who gives a damn what anyone thinks about what I say or do?"

Daryl scratched the back of his neck, but I could see his cheeks upturned with a grin.

"Naw." Daryl looked up at me. "I guess not."

"Then it's settled." I replied with a sigh. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Whatever." Daryl muttered.

I turned to head back to the house, but suddenly remembered the barn in the distance. I glanced back to see Daryl walking that way.

"By the way," I said loud enough for Daryl to hear, "Hershel doesn't want any of you inside of his barn. I wouldn't push my luck, horse thief."

0o0o0

That night when I was lying in bed, I had trouble falling asleep. I was thinking about everything that had taken place that week. First, Rick and Shane were thrust into my life after I had been blessed with a clean slate and a family who, for the most part, was accepting of me. Their presence had put me on edge, but that edge had softened when both Rick and Shane failed to recognize me.

Then, there was the realization that Shane had killed Otis. Every fiber of my being knew what had to be done. I had been doing it since I shot and killed my sister's murderer. The risks somehow seemed greater in the new world than they had seemed in the old world. There would be no jail time in this new world, but there were other consequences. I would lose Beth. Beth would lose me. I couldn't hurt Beth. I loved that girl like she was my own flesh and blood. I would rather die than cause her pain.

There was also Daryl, who was just as unexpected as the rest. Though we had only known each other for a week, the mutual lust between us was undeniable. It was different from the act I put on with Shane. My physical relationship with Shane was one sided and empty. The chemistry between Daryl and I was just the opposite. What I wanted to do was pin Daryl to the ground and do things to him that would bring out that blush in his cheeks, but I couldn't. Shane had just opened up a window of opportunity for me to take care of him once and for all, and I couldn't shut it. I had to do what needed to be done.

Usually the night before a kill, I felt empowered. I couldn't sleep due to the adrenaline and excitement coursing through my body. I anxiously awaited the overdue justice for the victims I helped. That night, I was awake for a very different reason. I wanted to kill Shane. That hadn't changed. I was dreading the acts I would have to commit before I could end him. I thought that Diana King was my clean slate. I never thought she would have to do what the others before her had done. I didn't think she would have to sell part of her soul to the devil in order to get close enough to him to kill.

0o0o0

The next day, I prepared myself for the events that would take place that evening. I showered and spent quite a while picking out an outfit to wear. As I rifled through Annette's clothing, I came across the few articles of clothing that belonged to Josephine. Before, I had promised myself not to wear her clothes so that Maggie wouldn't feel any pain. Now, I was beginning to consider breaking that promise. Josephine had several beautiful dresses to choose from that would entice Shane. I ran my fingers over them, contemplating if Maggie's feelings or getting Shane to come away with me was more important. After I gave it some thought, I pulled one of Josephine's dresses out of the bureau.

When I was equipped and dressed, I headed out to greet the day and my mission.

"Diana."

I turned around to see that Beth was coming down the stairs.

"Diana, you look beautiful." Beth complimented me with a smile. "Is that Josephine's dress?"

"It is." I replied. "I wanted to look nice for tonight. It is a celebration after all."

"You look wonderful." Beth said, admiring the material.

"Beth…"

I looked up as Maggie was descending the stairs. Whatever she had planned to tell or ask her sister was forgotten when she laid eyes on me. Though it was fleeting, the pain in Maggie's eyes felt like a knife in my heart. Although she didn't like me, I still felt terribly that seeing me in her mother's dress upset her so. Before anything could be said, Maggie stormed out of the house.

"Forget about her." Beth said quietly. "My daddy wouldn't have given her clothes to you if he didn't want you to wear them. You've always been kind and careful with my mama's clothes."

I smiled, but I still felt bad.

"I was going to give Carol, Lori, and Patricia a hand in the kitchen. Are you going to help us?"

"I might be in later." I replied with a nod. "I have some things to take care of right now, but save me a seat at dinner if I'm late."

"I will." Beth said with a smile.

I headed outside. I could see Shane and Carl sitting side by side near the fire pit. When I approached them, Shane quickly shooed Carl away.

"Well, well, well." Shane appraised me with his eyes. "Is this for me?"

I turned on the charm, spinning slowly in a circle.

"Of course." I finished my circle. "Do you like it?"

"Mmm, honey, I wish I could show you how much I like it right now." Shane replied, licking his lips.

"Well, how about later?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip.

Shane got up from where he had been sitting.

"Name the time and place, sugar." Shane said, his charm turned up full blast.

"After the fire." I murmured, looking up into Shane's eyes. "I'll let you know."

"How will I know?" Shane asked.

I reached out, surprising Shane as I cupped his balls in my hand. I ran my thumb over his dick.

"Trust me," I slowly let go of him, "you'll know."

With that, I moved around Shane to go to Daryl's tent. As I got close, I didn't see him inside. I turned around, looking for him. I didn't see him in camp. As I walked past the RV, I heard a low whistle. I turned around to see Daryl standing in front of the ladder like he had just climbed down.

"You sure laid it on thick with him, huh?" Daryl asked, cocking his head in Shane's direction.

"It worked." I replied with a shrug. "He's on for tonight."

Daryl just looked at me, his face unchanged.

"Are _we_ still on for tonight?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You was with me all night." Daryl said, looking over at the campsite.

"Should I say we were in your tent, or in my room?" I asked. "I think it might be better to say my-"

"Whatever's good for you." Daryl interrupted, meeting my eyes.

"Okay." I nodded.

I looked over where Daryl had been looking. Shane was speaking with Rick, but he suddenly looked over at me. I was quick to give him a smile and a wink. Shane returned my wink before resuming his conversation with Rick. When he looked away, I felt my smile fade. I heard Daryl chuckle.

"You're somethin'." Daryl shook his head.

"I do what needs to be done." I replied simply.

"You mean you ain't gonna enjoy any part of it?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

I realized that Daryl meant the physical acts Shane and I would engage in that night.

"Of course not." I answered, somewhat taken aback that Daryl thought I would.

"Why not?" Daryl asked. "Lori had somethin' goin' on with him before Rick came back into the picture and Andrea falls all over herself whenever Shane talks to her-"

"I'm not Lori or Andrea." I interrupted as-a-matter-of-factly.

"You sure ain't." Daryl agreed, shaking his head. "Why you doin' it then?"

"I told you." I replied, taking a step towards Daryl. "I'm doing what needs to be done."

Daryl's face suddenly became very serious as he took a step forward, closing any distance between us.

"Then don't do it." Daryl told me quietly, looking directly into my eyes.

As I looked into Daryl's eyes, it dawned on me. The part of Daryl that was attracted to me was jealous of what I was going to do with Shane. He wasn't telling me not to have sex with Shane. He was asking me not to. Daryl was too stubborn and proud to come out and say it, but he really didn't want me to be close to Shane. He wanted me for himself, but he would never admit it, especially to me.

"I have to." I replied softly. "I have to get as close to him as possible so that his guard will be down."

Daryl looked down, nodding.

"After tonight, no one will ever after to worry about him or be afraid of him." I said.

"Yeah." Daryl looked back up at me. "You're doin' a real service."

Daryl turned his back on me and climbed up the ladder to the roof of the RV.

0o0o0

Everyone sat down to dinner that night in Hershel's dining room. Glenn, Maggie, Jimmy, Beth, Carl, and Sophia sat at a different table. Beth had tried to save me a seat at their table, but Maggie had refused to let that happen. Beth and I exchanged sad smiles before sitting down to eat.

Shane sat down in the chair next to me, while Lori sat on my other side.

"Let us join hands for grace." Hershel said, prompting everyone to join hands. "Lord, please bless this food. Let it nourish our bodies so that we may better serve you. Amen."

"This looks wonderful, ladies." Rick said as we all let go of each other's hands to eat.

"Carol did most of the work." Lori replied over the sound of forks against plates.

"I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all you've done for my little girl and I." Carol said quietly from beside Daryl.

"Let's have a toast for Sophia." Shane said suddenly, lifting his glass.

"Here's to having you back, honey." Lori said, turning to smile warmly at Sophia.

Everyone toasted each other before setting their glasses back down. As I was setting my glass back down, I was suddenly surprised to feel a hand on the inside of my thigh. I looked up at Shane, who showed no emotion on his face as he ate with one hand and groped me with the other. As I was about to glance back down at my full plate, I noticed Daryl frowning in Shane's direction. I wondered if he knew what was going on underneath the table.

"…Diana?" Lori asked from next to me.

"I'm so sorry." I shook my head with a smile. "I had my head in the clouds. What did you say?"

"I just asked how you came to be here." Lori repeated herself, casting a strange look at Shane before her eyes settled on my face. "I didn't know if you knew Hershel and his family beforehand, or if…?"

"Oh, well, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Otis while he was out hunting." I replied. "He was kind enough to bring me back here. Hershel invited me to stay with his family out of the generosity and kindness of his heart. I have been trying to repay that debt ever since."

"Nonsense." Hershel spoke up from the head of the table.

Shane's hand slipped under my dress, his hand moving on the inside of my thigh. The feeling of his skin against mine made it crawl. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"…you really have done so much for us." Rick was saying while I tried not to think about how badly I wanted to sink one of my knives into Shane's throat.

Shane's hand, which had been still for several moments, suddenly moved. His fingers brushed over my underwear, startling me. I winced, trying to keep my composure.

"Hey!" Shane suddenly shouted, ripping his hand from my thigh.

"Sorry." Daryl mumbled, shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth.

I realized that Daryl must have kicked Shane under the table. I couldn't help but smile, and as I casually glanced up from my plate, I saw that Daryl was grinning down at his food.

When dinner was through, most everyone headed outside for the fire.

"Will you come and braid my hair?" Beth asked as I got up from the table.

"You aren't going to come out with us?" I asked, brushing Beth's hair back behind her shoulder.

"I feel tired, but you should go." Beth replied. "You'll have fun."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah." Beth nodded. "Will you braid my hair before you go?"

"Of course I will." I said with a smile. "I would never break our tradition."

I went upstairs with Beth to braid her hair. I could have stayed with her for the rest of the night. I would have been happier if I would have. We could have laid together and talked, or just gone to sleep. It didn't matter. Just being with Beth made me feel better, and I knew it was the same for her.

"Glenn and Maggie were passing notes at the table." Beth said suddenly as I braided her hair.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"They must have wanted to talk about something they didn't want my daddy or anyone else to hear." Beth shrugged. "Glenn handed Maggie a note, then she wrote back, then he wrote back…I don't know what they were talking about."

"Glenn seems to make your sister happy." I replied. "I think everyone deserves happiness, especially during times like these."

"I know." Beth sighed. "She's going to be sad when they leave."

"She'll have you and your father to lean on." I said, smiling at her in the mirror.

"Yeah." Beth nodded.

When I was finished with Beth's hair, I gave her a hug. It made me feel better. It was the only thing that could have made me feel any better thinking about what I was going to have to do.

"I love you, Beth." I murmured, holding her close.

"I love you too, Diana." Beth replied softly.

I pulled away from Beth, touching her cheeks.

"You're very special. Do you know that?" I asked.

"I don't know…" Beth shrugged, an embarrassed smile tugging at her lips.

"You are." I replied, stroking her face. "You are a very special girl, and you make me very happy."

The embarrassment melted away.

"You make _me_ happy." Beth said, her innocent smile making everything worth it.

"I'm glad." I said, letting go of Beth's face. "Goodnight, honey. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Diana."

I left Beth to head out to the fire. There was already one going. Rick, Lori, T-Dog, Andrea, Dale, Carol, and Shane were all sitting around the fire. Daryl was sitting on the roof of the RV keeping watch.

"Have a seat." Shane said as I walked up, scooting over.

"Where are Glenn and Maggie?" I asked, sitting down next to Shane.

T-Dog laughed.

"They're…somewhere." T-Dog answered, still laughing.

"Theodore, I would be careful if I was you." Dale said in a fatherly way. "You have to remember that Maggie is Hershel's daughter."

"Relax, Dale." Shane replied, casting a sideways look at him. "We're trying to have a good time."

"It would be nice if we had something to drink." Andrea mused aloud.

"Hershel is a recovering alcoholic." I said, looking across the fire at Andrea. "He doesn't keep any alcohol in the house or on his property."

"I didn't know." Andrea replied.

"There are a lot of things we don't know about each other." Rick said suddenly. "We don't really know you or Hershel's family, and none of you really know us. I think we should change that."

I didn't want to change that at all. I wanted things to remain the way they were.

"There isn't much to tell." I said.

"I have a hard time believing that." Rick replied, leaning forward beside his wife.

I felt a chill run down my spine. Rick was becoming too interested once again. His curiosity was going to kill the cat, and in this situation, that was me.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, keeping my cool.

"None of us knew what you were capable of until you suddenly pulled out your knives, or showed us what you were made of at gun practice." Rick cast a grin in Shane's direction before looking at me again. "I'm sure there's more to you than meets the eye."

I knew I needed to get Shane and get out.

"You're right." I replied, slowly sliding a hand under the back of Shane's shirt to run my nails down his skin. "I'm a natural blonde."

T-Dog and Rick chuckled.

"Speaking of knives," Shane said suddenly, "I just remembered something that I wanted to show you. If you like your knives, you'll love this."

I allowed Shane to help me to my feet. Judging from the snickering I heard behind me as I followed Shane to his tent, the group didn't buy Shane's excuse for us leaving the fire.


	14. Secret Safe

**Secret Safe**

**ScornedxRose: **You'll find out in this chapter! Here's your update!

**Wolflihood: **You'll see if your theory is correct in this chapter.

**animebird16: **You'll find out in this chapter. I'm glad that you like Diana's and Beth's relationship. I like it too. Here's your update!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Me too! You'll find out if Shane dies or not in this chapter. Here's your update!

**Dixon'sBikerBabe: **Maybe. Maybe not.

**Leyshla Gisel: **Thank you!

0o0o0

Shane led me to his tent, allowing me to crawl in first before he joined me inside. I immediately laid down on the floor of the tent, moving my hands over my dress to pull it up slightly over my thighs. Shane quickly crawled over me, positioning himself between my legs. As he laid down on top of me, I could feel his erection between my thighs. His fingers slid the thin straps down my shoulders, then glided over the bones beneath the skin there and along my chest. All I could think of was Jesse. It was as if his ghost was having a second chance with me.

"Shane…" I moaned into his ear.

"Mmm, say it again, honey." Shane groaned back, his fingers moving lower to my breasts.

"Shane…" I breathed hotly against his skin.

I felt Shane shoving his arms under me to unhook my bra. I took the opportunity to roll on top of him, taking control as I unhooked it myself. I slipped my dress down to my waist so that I could pull my bra off. I tossed it aside. I could feel Shane's erection growing harder beneath me.

"I was hoping we could do something…naughty." I murmured with a smile.

"Oh yeah?" Shane asked, looking pleased. "Like what?"

"How do you feel about restraints?" I asked, rolling my hips against Shane's.

Shane chuckled.

"That's not really my style, sugar." Shane adjusted himself under me. "If you would've known my brother…"

Suddenly, Shane frowned.

"I didn't mean to…"

Shane surprised me when he violently flipped us over so that I was beneath him again. He shoved my dress up, pulling angrily at my underwear. I heard them rip as he desperately tried to get them off of me. The night wasn't going as I had planned. Without restraining Shane, or at least blindfolding him, there was no way I could get the needle into his mouth. Admittedly, I was having second thoughts with Shane's sudden change in behavior. I never thought Diana would have to go through that.

"Shane, stop." I told him sternly, trying to move out from under him.

Shane grunted, tearing my underwear all the way off.

"Stop." I snapped, rearing my knee back.

I slammed my knee between Shane's legs. That was enough to get him off of me. He sputtered, rolling off of me onto his back. I hurriedly crawled out of his tent, pulling my dress down to cover the fact that my underwear had been torn off and grabbing my bra on the way out. As I stood up outside of the tent, I fixed the straps on my dress and stuffed my bra down into it.

"Hey, hey, hey, Shane done already?" T-Dog asked as I walked past the fire.

I didn't answer his question. I kept walking until I got to the house, and quickly went inside.

0o0o0

After I had showered and was dry, I pulled my bag out of the closet and took it to bed. I spilled my envelopes out onto the bed around me, running my hand over them. I didn't regret killing any of them. They were all monsters. However, there was a price I paid in doing away with them. I took their lives and they each took a piece of me. In order to get close enough to nine of them, I had to give myself to them. It was never easy, but I learned to deal with it as time went on. After the outbreak, I thought Diana would be spared all of those feelings of disgust. I thought she would be free, like the women I had freed before her.

I went through my envelopes until I was tired. I fell asleep with them. I felt comforted being surrounded by the good work I had done.

Then, suddenly, I was woken by a sound. As I opened my eyes, I saw a figure coming through the window in the dark. I knew it was Shane, but my knives and syringes were at the bottom of the bag on the floor next to the bed. I wasn't going to let Shane have his way with me or hurt me. Without any hesitation, I leapt out of bed and ran at the figure. I tackled him to the floor.

"Diana, what the hell?!" Daryl shouted from beneath me.

I quickly got off of Daryl, sitting beside him as he slowly sat up.

"I'm sorry, Daryl." I replied quietly. "I thought you were someone else."

"Damn." Daryl muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "You tryin' out for the Falcons or what?"

"I apologize." I repeated myself calmly, already having come down from thinking Shane was sneaking into my bedroom. "What exactly are you doing climbing through my window?"

Daryl looked down at the floor as his hand moved to his neck.

"I came to see if you was all right." Daryl mumbled. "You left Shane's tent real quick and in a hurry."

"You saw that?" I asked, resting my chin on my knee.

"I just saw how you looked after…" Daryl slowly looked up at me. "He hurt you?"

I shook my head against my knee.

"You sure?" Daryl asked.

"I gave him a knee to the balls before he could do anything." I replied, lifting my head.

"Damn." Daryl chuckled. "Is that how you was plannin' on killin' him?"

"That wasn't what I had in mind." I said, smiling when Daryl made me feel better.

As Daryl's chuckles quieted, his face became serious again.

"What happened?" Daryl asked.

"I was going to tie him up, probably gag him, but he wouldn't let me." I explained, pressing my back to the footboard. "Then, he got rough with me. I just…I didn't want to…"

Daryl watched me carefully as I spoke.

"You just want me to do it?" Daryl asked softly.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm going to do it. It will just be a lot harder now that he won't want anything to do with me. I'm not going to be so nice next time."

"You planned on bein' nice before?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess not." I shrugged, understanding Daryl's point.

Daryl suddenly got up. So did I.

"Well, I just wanted to see if you was all right, and since you are, I'm gonna go…" Daryl said, sidestepping towards the window he had climbed through.

"Thank you for checking on me." I replied, standing with him in front of the window. "That was really sweet of you."

"Right." Daryl scoffed, scratching the back of his neck.

I looked at Daryl in the moonlight. His blue eyes looked silver with the moon and starlight reflecting off of them. I watched his silver eyes slowly lower to appraise me the same way I was him. Lust swirled in his eyes like a silver snake. Suddenly, with the window into Shane having been slammed shut and locked, I could feel my true desires taking over. I wanted Daryl, and if he wanted me, I was going to have him.

My mouth descended on his so fast, but luckily for me, Daryl was thinking the same as me. Our lips crashed together in a kiss that was so wonderfully different from the kisses I had shared with Shane. Daryl wasn't trying desperately to be perfect or charming. He was being himself. He was kissing me honestly and truthfully. Though his kisses weren't as graceful or precise as Shane's, I preferred Daryl's mouth against mine. With our lips intertwined, I wrapped my arms around Daryl, tugging him forward. Daryl understood, and slowly lowered us onto the hardwood floor.

I began to loosen the strap holding Daryl's crossbow to his back as we kissed. Daryl moved one hand behind him, expertly removing the crossbow. With that weight off his shoulders, he wrapped both arms around me to pour every inch of himself into our kisses. I rolled us over easily, moving my hips against Daryl's as I moved my hands down to his belt buckle. I undid his belt without breaking our kisses, immediately moving to the button and zipper when the belt was loose. I could feel the want and need in Daryl's erection as I pulled it free from his boxers. He had wanted me for as long as I wanted him.

Still without underwear, I positioned myself over Daryl. I used my hand to guide him into me. There was little resistance. I was ready for him. When I accepted him inside of me, Daryl groaned deeply against my mouth. I pulled my lips from his as I started to move up and down his erection. I could feel him pulsating inside of me as I gripped his penis with every fiber of my being. Daryl moved his hands to my hips to feel my rhythm, groaning and grunting in time with my rocking.

"Diana…" Daryl groaned as my pace quickened.

I looked down at Daryl, whose eyes were closed as he reveled in our pleasure.

"Call me Corinne." I whispered, rolling my hips without breaking my pace.

Daryl opened his eyes to look up at me. I think if we wouldn't have been engaged in sex, he might have been confused. Instead, there was only lust in his eyes.

"Corinne…" Daryl murmured in the moonlit darkness.

I moaned, and Daryl suddenly grasped my hips harder. He used my hips to thrust quicker and quicker in and out. I knew he was close, and gripped him even more firmly than before. That seemed to speed things along. Just before he released, Daryl pulled himself completely out of me. I rolled off of him, falling down beside him on the floor. The cool wood felt good against my fiery skin.

Suddenly, I felt exhausted, like I hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. I could feel Daryl moving beside me as he presumably cleaned himself up. That was the last thing I remembered as I drifted off to sleep like a baby with a bottle.

0o0o0

When I opened my eyes, I still felt that sense of peace from the night before. I stretched, suddenly realizing that I was lying in bed. I looked around, confused. I didn't remember getting into bed. I had expected to wake up on the floor with Daryl beside me, or not. He didn't strike me as the type to cuddle or stay the night. I was fine with that, but I was starting to feel that peacefulness float away from me as I looked beside me. My bag was on the bed next to me. That was when I remembered that when Daryl had invited himself in, my pictures and envelopes had been splayed out on the bed.

I jumped out of bed, searching for the envelopes. They weren't on the bed. They weren't on the floor. I grabbed the bag, dumping its contents out onto the bed. I searched through every envelope. All of them were accounted for. Daryl had seen them. Then, he had put them away. Daryl knew who I was and what I had done.

I sank down to the floor. The moment I let my guard down, my secret was discovered. I was disappointed in myself. I had worked so hard to keep my identities and deeds a secret from everyone, only for Daryl to discover the evidence that could lead to my downfall. I had to speak to him. I had to reason with him. He needed to understand what he had seen and what it all meant.

I dressed in a hurry, leaving my weapons at the bottom of my bag as I shoved it into the closet. I nearly ran through the house and out the front door. I ignored everyone else as I walked briskly through camp towards Daryl's tent. I could see him lying down through the mesh.

"Mornin', Diana." Daryl greeted me as I approached his tent. "Where you off to in a hurry?"

I was surprised by his reaction to me after what he had seen, but his relaxed demeanor did nothing to calm my frazzled nerves. I wasn't used to feeling not in control of my life. It was unsettling.

"We need to talk." I replied quickly, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. "We need to speak somewhere private."

"Why?" Daryl asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You know why." I answered quietly.

Daryl sighed heavily, but he got up and out of his tent.

"Where to?" Daryl asked, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

"The stables." I said, already heading in that direction.

Daryl and I were silent as we walked together towards the stables. I felt like I was walking to my death. Daryl was my executioner and I was his prisoner. He was leading me to the guillotine to face the penalty for my crimes. He was taking me to the gallows to hang for the lives I had taken.

When we got to the stables, I didn't even know what to say. I turned around to face Daryl, who was standing still with his arms over his chest. He was waiting for me to speak, but I had no words to begin my story or defend myself. I never imagined having the conversation I was about to have, especially with Daryl.

"I…I know you saw them…" I murmured, glancing between the ground and Daryl's face.

"I ain't never seen you like this." Daryl said, shaking his head. "It's interestin'."

"This is new for me too." I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "I really don't know what to say-"

"Let me throw you a lifeline." Daryl put his hands on his hips. "If you're freaked out 'bout me seein' your trophies, you ain't gotta be. I ain't gonna say nothin' to no one."

I could feel my jaw unhinging as my mouth dropped.

"Why you look so surprised?" Daryl raised an eyebrow. "You think I was gonna squeal?"

I couldn't feel my face. It was numb. I was starting to think I might have been having a stroke.

"I saw all them pictures, Diana. All those dead guys had mugshots, which means they had some kinda criminal record." Daryl took a step forward. "Say somethin'."

I looked into Daryl's eyes. I saw no disgust, no fear. He understood. He saw the real me and he understood.

"Do I need to smack you?" Daryl asked.

"No…" I replied quietly, finding my voice. "I just…I wasn't expecting that reaction…"

"Were all those guys murderers?"

"Most of them. Two of them never killed anyone."

"Did they do somethin' worthy of bein' killed?" Daryl asked.

I nodded.

"Then I ain't got a problem with what you did." Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. "It all makes sense now. _You_ make more sense to me now."

"Why are you okay with this?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"The way I see it, you did the world a service." Daryl replied. "Did you do all that yourself?"

"I had help the second time I…killed." I answered.

"So that's why you knew you could handle Shane?" Daryl asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"Stop bein' so weird." Daryl suddenly cracked a smile. "Well, weirder than usual."

"It's hard not to feel strange with the way you're reacting to something like this." I replied.

"Diana, some kinda disease is makin' people die and come back to life as maneaters. Findin' out that you killed guys that committed crime isn't the weirdest thing I've seen or heard of."

Daryl placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you can still trust me." Daryl told me seriously. "I promise I ain't gonna say nothin'."

I looked into Daryl's eyes and knew he was telling the truth. My secret was safe with him.


	15. Two Hunters

**Two Hunters**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Yes they are! I'm glad, too.

**Maddy120296: **Hahahaha. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**ScornedxRose: **I hope that's a good thing! Thank you!

**Chellybobellyy: **Thank you

0o0o0

Daryl and I took our conversation out to the fields after Glenn and Maggie came down to the stables to take two horses into town. We settled down across from each other, away from everyone else. It was just beginning to sink in that Daryl was accepting of my secret past. It was a strange feeling, to know that he knew what I had done, but felt no different about me than before. He wasn't afraid of me.

"So…your real name ain't Diana?" Daryl asked, pulling his crossbow off to set beside him.

I took a deep breath.

"My name is Corinne Crown." I replied, the words foreign as they came out of my mouth.

"Corinne." Daryl said aloud with a nod. "That explains last night…"

"It would probably be best if you continued to call me Diana."

Daryl nodded in agreement.

"What happened?" Daryl asked. "I mean…why'd you start doin' what you did?"

I ran my hands through the grass.

"My sister was murdered by her ex-boyfriend." I replied, looking down at the grass. "I went to his apartment when he made bail. I went there with my father's gun."

"How old was you?"

"Eighteen." I said, looking up at Daryl. "I was young and inexperienced then. I did a sloppy job of killing him. I didn't even clean up the mess. I just ran."

"Where'd you go?"

"This is all a really long story." I replied, breaking off a piece of grass in my hand.

Daryl shrugged before lying down on his back, his arms crossed under his head.

"Suit yourself."

"…I went to Las Vegas." I finally said after a few minutes. "I abandoned my car before crossing the state line, hitchhiked the rest of the way. I panhandled for months, not knowing what I was going to do or where I was going to go. My story made the news. I saw my picture in the papers."

"Didn't anyone recognize you?" Daryl asked, looking up at me.

"I dyed my hair red and kept it a lot shorter than I had as Corinne." I replied. "I got a new name, too. I went as Fiona Snow."

"So…what happened?"

"I was panhandling pretty close to a women's shelter just outside of the city one day. A woman who volunteered there came out to ask me if I needed any help. She and I got to talking. Her name was Trisha." I looked down at the grass as I reminisced. "Since I was so young, Trisha felt sorry for me. She found me a bed at the shelter, looked out for me like I was her own daughter. The closer we got, the more she got to know me and I got to know her. Trisha had been married to an abuser for years before she was able to get away from him, but since he would randomly pop up in her life even after the divorce, she learned to use a gun. She taught me, too."

I ran my fingers over the scar on my arm.

"What I told you about this was the truth." I glanced up briefly to make sure Daryl saw what I was referring to. "The man who did it was Trisha's ex-husband. Since she had done so much for me, I figured I would return the favor. Well, I was still young and inexperienced. Luckily for me, Trisha showed up just in time before Greg could _really_ hurt me…"

"Shoot." Daryl shook his head. "How many identities have you had?"

"Not counting Corinne or Diana, I have had nine names." I replied, counting them off on my fingers. "Fiona, Rachel, Lucy, Taylor, Marianne, Jennifer, April, Lisa, and Christine."

"Damn." Daryl propped himself up on his elbow. "How do you keep 'em all straight?"

"It's easy for me, but I also have my envelopes."

"I noticed your kills got less bloody after the first few." Daryl said, almost as if he was admiring my work.

"Trisha had an encyclopedia that I used to read all the time." I replied. "I taught myself to do a lot of things, like stitch up wounds. I started doing research on how to kill discreetly. I studied the different ways captured serial killers had taken care of their victims. I finally found a way to kill without leaving any noticeable marks or wounds."

"How?" Daryl asked.

"With a syringe."

"Poison?"

"No." I shook my head. "Poison would show up in blood work. I used air."

"Air?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brow.

"If you shoot enough air into an artery, it causes an air embolism, which leads to cardiac arrest." I explained. "I keep two syringes in that pouch you've asked about."

"Damn, you _are_ smart." Daryl replied quietly.

I laid down next to Daryl, leaving considerable space between us. I looked up at the sky. The sun was shining. There wasn't a cloud in sight. Could it be that my luck was changing?

"I didn't get you before." Daryl said suddenly, turning his head to look at me. "It's funny. We got a lot in common."

"We do?" I asked, turning my head also.

"We're both hunters." Daryl replied with a shrug. "That's good enough for me."

I never thought of myself as a hunter, but in some respects, I guess I was.

"Well…I better get back." Daryl said, sitting up. "It'll be my turn to take watch soon."

"Okay." I replied, staying where I was in the grass.

Daryl got up off the ground with his crossbow in hand, standing still for a moment to strap it back onto his back. As he moved to go, I reached out and caught his pant leg. He looked down at me.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to explain what you saw." I told him softly. "I know you probably thought I was crazy for a minute there, and I may be a lot of things, but crazy isn't one of them. I would never hurt someone who didn't deserve what was coming to them."

Daryl shook my hand off his pants.

"I know." Daryl replied as he headed back towards camp.

0o0o0

Beth and I were sitting out on the front porch at sunset. Beth had brought out a deck of cards, which we were playing go fish with. Though my plan for the night before had gone awry, I felt more at ease than I had since Rick and the others had come to the farm.

"Do you have any fives?" Beth asked, looking at her cards and then up at me.

"Go fish." I replied with a smile.

"I'm no good at this game." Beth mumbled, choosing a card from the stack.

"Do you know how to play slapjack?" I asked, rifling through my cards.

"I've never heard of…" Beth's voice trailed off, and I looked in the direction she was staring in.

Maggie was stomping towards the house, her shirt speckled with blood.

"Go and run a shower for your sister." I told Beth quietly, setting down my cards to meet Maggie.

While Beth went inside, I came down off the porch to meet Maggie halfway.

"Maggie, what happened?" I asked, looking her over for any sign of injury.

Maggie breezed right past me, but I turned and caught her shoulder from behind. Maggie whirled around, slapping my hand away from her in the same movement. I pulled my hand back.

"Don't touch me." Maggie snapped, her eyes wild.

"I'm sorry. I won't touch you." I apologized calmly. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine." Maggie replied unconvincingly.

I watched her hurry into the house where Beth would be waiting. As I turned around, I saw Glenn approaching. His eyes were on the house, but then they fell on me.

"What happened?" I asked, waiting in place for him to reach me.

"We were at the pharmacy." Glenn answered, closing the distance between us. "While Maggie was in the back getting some…things…she was grabbed by a walker. It was a close call."

"Was she hurt?" I asked, glancing back at the house.

"No." Glenn shook his head. "I think she's just shaken up."

I looked back at the house. Even if Maggie didn't want me to, I was going to check on her. I knew she and her family hadn't experienced many encounters with walkers, and when they did, the walkers were people they knew before they got sick. I wanted Maggie to know that I was there for her.

I left Glenn to go inside. Beth was sitting in the front room.

"Is Maggie in the shower?" I asked.

"Yeah." Beth nodded. "She wouldn't say anything to me about what happened."

I sat down next to Beth.

"You don't need to worry about Maggie." I reassured Beth.

"How do you know?" Beth asked, looking up at me.

"I talked to Glenn. He told me what happened. Maggie wasn't injured." I replied, keeping the details to myself so as not to frighten Beth.

I looked up the stairs at the bathroom door.

"Beth, why don't you start dinner?" I suggested, getting up from the couch. "I'll be in to help you shortly."

Without another word between us, I headed upstairs. I went into Maggie's room and sat down on her bed to wait for her to finish in the shower. I looked at the pictures of Maggie's mother on her dresser as I sat on the bed. I waited for about ten minutes before the door opened.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Maggie snapped, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I wanted to talk to you." I replied, keeping my cool though Maggie was visibly angry.

"Who do you think you are?" Maggie asked, pulling the towel around herself. "This isn't your house. You have no right to be in here."

"So it's all right for you to snoop through my things, but I can't be in your room?" I asked.

Maggie's frown remained strong, but she lowered her eyes. She knew she had been caught.

"Glenn told me what happened at the pharmacy." I continued, getting up off of Maggie's bed. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sure you were really scared."

Maggie silently crossed the room to her bed. She sat down where I had been sitting.

"I just wanted you to know that if you need somebody to talk to about what happened, I'm here for you, even though you don't care for me or want me around."

I turned to leave, but then Maggie spoke.

"I never…I never realized how dangerous they were…" Maggie murmured from behind me. "Even after what happened at the well…I didn't think they were dangerous…but after today…"

I turned around to face Maggie. Her head was hanging low.

"My dad thinks those people in the barn…that they can be saved…" Maggie slowly looked up at me. "I realized for the first time today that they can't be saved."

"Your father is doing what he thinks is right." I replied softly. "Those walkers in the barn have never escaped. They haven't hurt anyone. Your father just hasn't seen what walkers out in the wild are like. He doesn't understand what kind of a threat they pose to us."

Maggie didn't say anything.

"I'm going to continue helping him put walkers he finds into the barn. I'm going to continue feeding them. This is your father's property, and as long as those walkers stay locked up, I don't have a problem with them being in the barn." I headed for the door again. "I do think it's smart to be cautious, though. You can never be too careful."

I glanced back at Maggie once to see her staring at the floor.

"You know where to find me." I said.

0o0o0

That night, I laid in bed thinking about what to do about Shane. I was starting to think that I wouldn't be able to carry out my mission. Shane would never let me near him after what I had done, so there was no way to get close enough to kill him without drawing attention to myself.

I heard a sound, and looked up to see Daryl knocking on the windowsill.

"I figured I'd make myself known this time seein' as how last time I ended up on the floor." Daryl muttered from the open window.

I got up to go to the window. I smiled down at Daryl.

"You ended up on the floor anyways." I murmured, my smile growing when Daryl blushed.

"So…can I come in or not?" Daryl mumbled, refusing to meet my eyes.

I went to the bed, pressing myself to the footboard. I opened my robe, exposing my naked body as it fell to the floor at my feet. Daryl's eyes widened as they ran all over my body, and I imagined the erection forming outside the window.

"Come in."


	16. Wild Animal

**Wild Animal**

**ScornedxRose: **You'll just have to read and see! Here's your update!

**Leyshla Gisel: **I think she just might. Yes, I was thinking that Daryl probably wouldn't have wanted to talk about it. He can be me more of a do-er than a talker. Hahaha.

**Maddy120296: **Hahaha. I'm sorry! Maybe next time ;)

0o0o0

"Diana."

I woke up with a start, reaching for the knives at my arm that weren't there. I looked up to see Maggie standing in the doorway to my bedroom. Something must have been on her mind, because she was oblivious to my being completely nude. Either that or she didn't care.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling the sheet up around me as I sat up.

"You have to guard the barn." Maggie replied.

"What?" I asked, getting out of bed with the sheet still around me.

"They know about the walkers." Maggie murmured. "Glenn told everyone about the walkers in the barn. They've been standing around it for the past five minutes. I'm afraid they're going to try something."

I stomped over to the bureau, throwing the doors open.

"Over my dead body." I muttered, ripping a skirt and blouse from their hangers.

"I wouldn't have come to you, but I didn't want to worry Beth-"

"Good." I interrupted, dressing quickly in front of Maggie. "She doesn't need to know anything. I'm going to take care of it."

"How?" Maggie asked, watching me as I went to the closet.

"Do you know where the key is to your father's gun safe?" I asked, opening the closet door.

"Yeah."

"Bring me his sawed off." I replied, glancing up at the shelf. "I'll be waiting by the front door."

I looked to Maggie, who gave me a nod before leaving to get me the gun. While she was gone, I equipped myself with my knives. I left my syringes behind. When I was ready, I went out to the front room to wait for Maggie. She met me at the front door with her father's sawed off shotgun.

"What are you going to do?" Maggie asked, holding the gun close to her body.

"I'm going to keep them from killing your stepmother and stepbrother." I replied, holding out my hands for the gun. "Keep Beth busy."

Maggie stared into my eyes for several moments before handing over the gun.

I headed across the yard towards the barn. Everyone was still standing outside of it. Even as I got closer, the group remained unaware that I was coming right for them. I pointed the shotgun above their heads, firing a round. I pumped the shotgun to eject the shell as everyone ducked their heads, turning to look at who had fired a round in their direction. I easily circled them, standing in front of the barn doors.

"Get away from this barn." I told them sternly, holding the shotgun tightly in my grasp.

Rick still had his hands over his head from the blast, but lowered them when we made eye contact. Shane looked enraged, even more so than I had seen before. I wanted him to give me a reason to shoot him. I wouldn't bat an eyelash before taking his head off.

"Diana, just relax." Rick said calmly, holding one hand out. "We were just discussing-"

"You aren't discussing anything having to do with the walkers in this barn." I interrupted, narrowing my eyes as I swept them over the crowd. "They aren't your concern."

"Aren't our concern?" Shane scoffed. "We're sleeping a few feet away from it."

"Who's making you stay here?" I snapped, staring down Shane as he challenged me. "The walkers in this barn aren't going to be harmed or put down. If you don't like it, get your things, and get the hell out of here."

Everyone was silent. Lori and Carol were clutching their children like I was going to shoot them. If only they knew that the target was on Shane's forehead.

"What're you going to do?" Shane asked, taking a step forward. "Are you going to shoot us all?"

"Shane…" Rick grabbed his friend by the shoulder.

"I have four rounds left." I replied coolly, leveling the shotgun on Shane. "I'll put two in your chest and two in your smug, snide face."

"Rick, let's go." Lori murmured, wrapping one arm around her husband from behind.

"Everyone, get back to camp," Rick commanded loudly, "now."

Slowly, everyone started moving towards camp. First it was the women and their children. Glenn, T-Dog, and Dale were close behind. Andrea cast one look at me, then Shane, before she returned to camp. Rick still had his hand on Shane's shoulder. Daryl stood off to the side watching me.

"You're going to regret this." Shane threatened, pointing a finger at me.

"Is that a promise?" I asked, lifting the shotgun higher to make my point that much more severe.

"Shane, let's go." Rick murmured. "Let's go and talk about this."

Rick managed to pull Shane away from the barn. I didn't lower my shotgun until they were back at camp with the others, all of them staring in my direction. I didn't care what they thought of me. I was thinking only of Beth and her family. I wouldn't let anyone hurt Beth. I would die before I let that happen.

"What?" I asked, finally addressing Daryl.

"I should've known you knew 'bout the walkers." Daryl replied, shaking his head.

"I promised Hershel to keep them a secret before I knew you or your group." I said.

"I probably wouldn't have set myself up over there had I known the barn was full of the undead."

"After all Hershel has done for you people, and you were all just willing to bust open those barn doors and kill his family and neighbors?" I asked, taking a step back towards the barn. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves for even considering it."

"Yeah, well, maybe you'd feel differently if your family was dead 'cause of 'em." Daryl retorted, turning to leave. "For what it's worth, I was against it, but only if those things stayed locked up."

I watched Daryl go back to camp, but he didn't confer to the circle with the others. Instead, he started taking down his tent. I watched him, thinking he might be leaving the farm. He ended up taking his things way out, putting space between himself and the others, as well as the barn. He wasn't leaving, but he also wasn't taking his chances being so close to the barn after learning it was full of walkers.

I stayed in front of the barn on the lookout. I wasn't going to leave it for one second. I knew that the moment I left the barn vulnerable, the group would try something. Shane would definitely take any kind of opportunity he got to put the walkers down. Rick left camp for the house. I wanted to go in after him, but I knew Maggie would be on guard inside. After a few minutes inside, Hershel and Rick emerged. They walked together to the stables.

As the afternoon rolled in, T-Dog and Andrea made their way over from camp.

"Don't shoot!" T-Dog called as they approached.

"What do you want?" I asked, taking a few steps away from the barn.

"We came to keep watch with you." T-Dog replied, showing me the knife he held. "Rick asked me and Andrea to come make sure nobody tried to get past you. I guess he doesn't want anyone getting their head blown off."

"From the sound of it, only Shane needed to be worried about that." Andrea said, cocking her head to the side as she looked at me. "Was that really necessary? We could have all had a civil conversation instead of trying to out intimidate each other."

"Like I said before, there's nothing for you to discuss." I replied, standing in front of the doors. "I don't care if you two want to stand with me, but if either of you tries anything, I won't hesitate to act."

"You would kill us over one of those _things_?" Andrea asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I would do what I needed to protect Hershel, Maggie, and Beth."

"Protect them?" Andrea asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really think that allowing them to keep walkers on their property is protecting them?"

"This isn't my property." I answered slowly. "This is Hershel's land and he can do what he wants with it. If that means he wants to keep walkers in his barn, he has every right to do so."

"I see you spending a lot of time with his youngest, Beth." Andrea said, glancing back at the house momentarily. "If you cared about her at all, you wouldn't let her father endanger her life the way he is by keeping walkers in his barn. God forbid that they escape and-"

"Did you come here to keep watch or talk?" I interrupted harshly.

I didn't want to admit it to her, but Andrea made sense. I loved Beth. I would never forgive myself if one or all of the walkers escaped and something happened to her.

Not long after T-Dog and Andrea joined me at the barn, Maggie was coming out of the house and out to the barn as well.

"My dad said he wanted you to come inside." Maggie told me when she got close enough.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah." Maggie nodded, but she didn't look happy about the decision. "Come on."

Reluctantly, I left the barn behind to follow Maggie into the house.

"What happened?" I asked when we were inside.

"Rick came in to talk to my dad." Maggie answered, leaning against the couch. "He told him everything, about finding out about the walkers, their concerns, and you coming out with a shotgun. My dad wanted me to bring you inside and take his gun back."

I slowly handed over the shotgun.

"You aren't in any trouble." Maggie said quickly. "My dad just didn't want you getting hurt…"

"I understand." I nodded.

"My sister is upstairs taking a shower." Maggie said, motioning up the stairs. "I would appreciate it if you could keep her company when she's finished. She doesn't know what happened. I want to keep it that way if I can."

"I'll keep her inside." I replied.

Maggie started for the stairs, but paused suddenly. She turned back around.

"Thanks…for what you did…" Maggie slowly looked up at me. "My family appreciates it."

"You're welcome." I murmured, surprised by Maggie's thanks.

Maggie went upstairs to lock the gun back up, while I went upstairs to wait for Beth.

0o0o0

I managed to keep Beth upstairs, especially since there was no commotion coming from outside. Beth read aloud to me from the bible for a while, then we went through her yearbook. She pointed out all of her friends and teachers. Though she smiled and laughed a lot, I could tell looking back on the past hurt her. After all, the past wasn't that far behind her.

"There's Jimmy and I at junior prom." Beth said, pointing to a black and white picture in the yearbook. "My mama picked up my dress from in town."

"You look beautiful." I told her, setting a hand on her back.

"Thank you." Beth looked up at me and smiled. "Did you go to your junior prom?"

"No, but I _did_ go to my senior prom." I replied with a laugh.

"Who did you go with?" Beth asked, propping her chin up on her elbow. "Did you have a boyfriend? I bet you did…"

"I didn't have a boyfriend at all." I said, sitting up against Beth's bed. "I went with a group of friends who didn't have dates either. We went out to dinner before, then to prom, then back to my house for a sleepover."

"That sounds like fun." Beth replied, rolling onto her back.

"It was." I nodded.

That night was one of my best memories from right before my sister was murdered.

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire from outside carried into the house. From the moment it reached our ears, Beth was up off the floor and running down the stairs.

"Beth!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet to go after her.

I stampeded down the stairs after Beth, who had just busted out of the door as I reached the bottom. I burst out the door right after her. Beth was stopped on the lawn, staring in the direction of the barn. My eyes followed hers. Everyone was in front of the barn. A body was on the ground.

"Beth…" I said slowly, coming down off the steps.

Before I could stop her, Beth ran towards the barn.

"Beth, stop!" I yelled after her as I chased her across the lawn.

I finally caught up to Beth as we reached the barn. I immediately wrapped my arms around her to keep her from getting any closer. She was my priority. As I held her to me, I studied the scene before me. Hershel had fallen to his knees. Maggie was at his side, Glenn standing protectively in front of them. Rick was holding onto a snare pole, a walker on the other end. He was yelling for Hershel to take the pole from him. Everyone else stood staring as Shane unlocked the barn doors.

I wanted to let go of Beth and throw my knives at Shane. I wanted to run back into the house, break open the gun safe, and put all five rounds I could carry into his body. I couldn't. If I let go of Beth, she might try to go to her dad or intervene. I couldn't allow her to get close since the walkers in the barn would be pouring out at any minute. I had to hold onto Beth and keep her safe.

"Don't look, Beth." I murmured, trying to spin her around to face me.

"Mama!" Beth cried out in my arms. "Don't hurt my mama! Mama!"

I kept my arms locked around Beth's waist as she quivered against me.

The first walker emerged from the barn, a man. He staggered out towards the group, but Shane put him down quickly. As more walkers stumbled out, everyone else leapt into action. Andrea and T-Dog joined Shane in putting the walkers down. Glenn turned to look at Maggie, who nodded. With her approval, Glenn also contributed to killing the walkers. The countless rounds being fired was nearly deafening. I wished I could have put my hands over Beth's ears and eyes to spare her.

I looked to Daryl, who was standing off to the side. He had his shotgun aimed at the barn, but I didn't see him firing any rounds. I didn't know if that was because he didn't feel that he was needed, or if he knew what was happening was wrong. Either way, he never fired a single round.

When the final walker fell, the only audible sounds were Beth's and Maggie's tears. Ordinarily, I would have comforted Beth as best as I could. Instead, I looked to my right. Jimmy was standing just a few feet away from Beth and I. As if he felt my stare, he looked over at me.

"Take Beth." I told him, slowly transferring Beth to Jimmy's arms. "Do _not_ let her go. Do you understand me?"

Jimmy nodded, his eyes filled with tears he was trying to hold back.

I set my sights on Shane, who was standing with his back to me in front of the barn. I moved a hand into my skirt as I walked calmly forward. I pulled out my throwing knife, the one that could do the most damage. It had Shane's name written all over it, and it was a long time coming. I would hurl that knife into Shane's back, pull it out, and stab him with it over and over again. I wanted him to suffer for what he had just done to my family. I wanted him to know what pain was.

I moved past Hershel and Maggie. I wanted them out of my way before I threw my knife.

"Diana!" I heard Daryl calling out to me. "Diana, no!"

Suddenly, a body was slamming into mine at full force. I was knocked off kilter, but there were arms around me, pinning mine down to my sides. I knew who it was holding me, and that he was trying to protect me, but I reacted like a caged animal. I fought against his hold, animalistic growls and snarls spewing from my lips. I only saw red as I stared Shane down from in front of the barn.

"Let go of me!" I roared, struggling to escape Daryl's grasp.

"Look at that crazy bitch." Shane snapped, glaring at me. "I told you, Rick. I told you she attacked me the other night. Look at her. She's fucking crazy."

"Attacked you?" Daryl asked as he kept me from my target. "It looked like you attacked her when she left your tent."

"What the hell do you know?" Shane retorted quickly.

"He's a murderer!" I screamed from Daryl's arms. "He killed Otis! He killed Otis!"

"That's enough!" I heard Rick shout from behind me.

Shane suddenly bounded forward towards Daryl and I, but Daryl was releasing me in almost the same movement as he was diving at Shane before he could get to me. Daryl took Shane to the ground, sending a fist flying at Shane's face as he struggled to get out from under Daryl. They were rolling across the dirt when Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn intervened. Rick grabbed his friend while T-Dog and Glenn pulled Daryl away from Shane. He didn't try to get loose, but he narrowed his eyes at Shane as if his glare could kill him. Shane just laughed, spitting blood from Daryl's punch.

"Lucky shot, trailer trash." Shane said, pointing a finger at Daryl. "Next time…"

"That does it!"

I turned around to see Hershel slowly getting up off the ground. Maggie held one of his arms.

"I want you off my property!" Hershel shouted, pointing at Shane.

I looked at Beth, who was being held up by Jimmy. I knew she needed me, and the wild animal inside of me crept back into its cage. I put my knife away as I slowly made my way towards her, half expecting her to shrink away from me after how I had acted. Instead, she fell willingly into my arms.

Patricia and I helped Beth up to the house while Jimmy and Maggie assisted Hershel. As we all walked up towards the house, Rick and Shane followed. As much as I wanted to turn around now that I had the chance, I couldn't. Daryl had taken that opportunity from me. Now, I was back to being Beth's caretaker and protector.

"Hershel, wait, please." Rick begged, catching up to Hershel.

"I did you a favor." Shane said, striding up behind them as we got up to the house.

Hershel turned around at the bottom of the steps.

"You call what you just did a favor?" Hershel asked solemnly.

"It was only a matter of time til something happened." Shane replied aggressively, pointing a finger in Hershel's face.

Maggie flew down the porch steps, her hand making contact with Shane's cheek.

"You get out of my dad's face." Maggie growled. "If you touch him, or go after Diana again, it will be _me_ who will put a knife in your heart."

As Beth leaned more heavily against me, Patricia and I quickly whisked her into the house.


	17. First Move

**First Move**

**Leyshla Gisel: **I'm so glad! Yeah!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Yes, Maggie is coming around to Diana. I was hoping Shane would be dead by the end of the first season. Hahaha. His time will come. Here's your update!

**Maddy12029: **You'll find out why in this chapter.

**ScornedxRose: **Ohhh yeahhh. Hahaha.

**chellybobellyy: **Thank you, thank you!

**Guest: **I always love that too. Your review was fine. Thank you for taking the time to leave one.

**wiccan-jessica: **Thank you so much!

0o0o0

Patricia sat down on the couch with Beth as Hershel immediately ascended the stairs. Jimmy sat down on the couch, but he kept space between himself and Beth.

"What now?" Jimmy asked, looking between Maggie and I.

"We bury Annette and Shawn." Maggie replied as Beth burst into tears when her mother was mentioned. "They deserve a proper burial."

"I'll go." I volunteered immediately. "You should stay with your family."

"No!" Beth cried, sobbing against Patricia. "Don't go!"

Maggie went to Beth, getting down on her knees in front of her. She placed her hands gently in Beth's lap.

"Beth, don't you want Mom to have a resting place?" Maggie asked softly.

Amidst her tears, Beth managed to nod.

"Patricia will stay with you while Diana and I go and take care of Mom and Shawn." Maggie reassured her sister. "When we're finished, we'll come and get you. I promise."

Beth sniffed, but she nodded again.

"Jimmy, don't let anyone inside." I said as Maggie stood.

"I won't." Jimmy promised with a nod.

I looked at Beth one last time before following Maggie out the front door. She looked so fragile and pathetic as she cried into Patricia's shoulder. I wanted to stay with her. I could feel worry for her state of mind bubbling up inside of me, but I knew Maggie needed my help. I wasn't going to let her down.

"There are shovels in the barn." Maggie said as we walked down the steps. "We can…"

"What?" I asked, looking towards the barn.

T-Dog, Andrea, Glenn, and Dale were dragging and carrying bodies away from the barn. The others were nowhere to be seen, presumably at camp.

Maggie and I jogged quickly towards the barn. As we got closer, the four taking care of bodies stopped what they were doing. They all froze in place as if they had suddenly turned into statues. I realized that they were staring at me, and I knew why. They were afraid of me after my performance before. I wasn't sorry for it, and I wasn't sorry that they were scared. That would teach them a lesson.

"What are you doing with those bodies?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"We…we were going to…burn them…" Glenn answered slowly.

"My stepmom and stepbrother?" Maggie asked.

"No. No way." Glenn shook his head as he walked towards Maggie. "We were going to bury them."

"Well, thank you, but no thank you." I replied, walking past the others to get into the barn. "Maggie and I are going to take care of Annette and Shawn. Right, Maggie?"

When Maggie didn't answer, I turned to look back at her. She and Glenn were holding hands, looking into each other's' eyes. I knew she wasn't blaming Glenn for what happened, but from her demeanor overall, I was beginning to think the only person she did blame was Shane. I realized that Maggie didn't mind if the others helped us out.

"I'll get the shovels." I muttered, walking into the barn.

I found three shovels hanging up on the wall of the barn. It was eerie to think that less than an hour ago, the barn had been full of walkers. I could almost still hear them moaning, hear their feet shuffling as they paced back and forth. I felt a shiver running down my spine as I carried the shovels out so that we could get started.

I handed one shovel to Maggie and one to Glenn. I kept the third for myself.

"Where do you want to bury them, Maggie?" I asked as T-Dog, Andrea, and Dale got back to work behind me.

"I don't know…" Maggie gazed off into the distance. "Under that tree."

I looked to the tree she was referring to. It looked like a beautiful place to lay Annette and Shawn.

"Under the tree it is." I said, carrying my shovel over that way.

Maggie, Glenn, and I dug in silence for a long time. They dug one grave while I dug another. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of our shovels unearthing dirt. As I was about three or four feet deep, I heard one shovel stop. I looked up to see Glenn watching me.

"What?" I asked, looking back down as I continued digging. "Are you waiting for me to grow a set of claws to match my behavior from earlier today?"

"No…I just…I wanted to know…" Glenn said quietly.

"What?" I asked, giving him my undivided attention.

"What did you mean when you said that Shane killed Otis?" Glenn asked.

Maggie stopped what she was doing.

"I was going to ask you about that later." Maggie admitted just as quietly as Glenn.

"You really didn't notice?" I asked, leaning against my shovel.

"Notice what?" Maggie asked.

"The rifle that Shane has been carrying, it belonged to Otis." I answered. "It was the rifle he took with him to the high school. Why is Shane carrying it?"

Something clicked in Maggie's eyes, but Glenn shook his head.

"That doesn't mean Shane killed Otis." Glenn argued. "Maybe Otis gave the rifle to Shane at some point while they were fighting their way in or out of the school."

"Why?" I asked, letting my shovel fall. "Why would Otis have given Shane his rifle?"

"I don't know-"

"Maggie, didn't Otis' father give him that rifle before he passed away a few years back?" I asked, looking to Maggie, who had been silent for several minutes.

"Yeah." Maggie nodded, her eyes on the ground. "He did."

"Something could have happened." Glenn said, but even he was starting to sound unsure.

"Besides the fact that the rifle was handed down to Otis by his own father, the only other gun he had was Rick's pistol. Why would he give up his only other firearm?" I shook my head as I bent down to pick up my shovel. "It doesn't make sense."

Silence fell upon us as we started to dig again. I glanced up at Glenn and Maggie to see their faces after out discussion. They had both been hit with the cold, hard truth. Glenn was beginning to realize that the man who had led him and the others for months was a cold blooded killer, while Maggie was trying to swallow the fact that she and her family had housed and clothed a murderer. More than one.

When we had finished digging the graves, the four others carried Annette and Shawn over. By that time, Shane walked up alongside Rick. As they got close, I held my shovel like a baseball bat.

"He doesn't come any closer." I told Rick sternly, ready to swing my shovel if I needed to.

Rick glanced back at Shane, then turned his head to look at me.

"Diana, we came to apologize for the way that everything happened." Rick said calmly, looking over at Maggie. "Maggie, we are so sorry for the pain we caused you and your family. It wasn't our intention to reopen old wounds or create new ones. We just wanted to do what was best for us, all of us."

I looked back at Maggie. Her jaw was set, but she nodded.

"Why isn't the apology coming from him?" I asked, motioning to Shane.

"I didn't think any of you would want to hear one from him." Rick explained.

"You're right. We don't." I replied shortly. "What we want is for him to get off this farm."

"Diana, I'm on my way to speak with Hershel right now."

"Stay out of it, you crazy-"

"Shane." Rick snapped, turning his head to glare at him. "Enough."

"You cops are ridiculous." I chuckled darkly, shaking my head as I lowered my shovel. "You protect each other, watch each other's backs, but at what cost?"

"What are you talking about?" Rick asked.

"Shane killed Otis." I replied bluntly. "I know he did, and no one is going to tell me any differently. Something tells me that deep down, all of you know it too. Even you."

Shane just shook his head and smirked as I spoke, unafraid of my accusation.

"You're just like your brother." I told Shane coolly, looking right into his eyes as I said it.

Shane's smirk turned quickly into a frown.

"What did you just say?" Shane asked, moving forward.

"Shane, knock it off." Rick muttered, holding his friend back from coming any closer to me.

"You heard me." I said, throwing my shovel aside. "You're no better than your raping, murdering brother. You both are cut from the same cloth-"

"Diana!" Rick shouted, trying to hold Shane back from me.

As Shane dragged Rick closer to me, and before T-Dog intervened to help hold him back, I hocked up as much saliva as I could. I spit Shane right in his face from over Rick's shoulder. That only enraged him more, and Andrea was forced to help T-Dog and Rick pull Shane away from me. I didn't look away from Shane's eyes once. I wasn't afraid of him.

"Diana…"

I felt Maggie's hand on my shoulder, and turned to look at her.

"Let's bury your stepmother and stepbrother." I told her softly, giving her a small smile.

0o0o0

I showered off after Maggie had a chance to. I wanted to look nice for Annette's and Shawn's service. Hershel was going to read over their fresh graves. I overheard Rick's conversation with him. Rick promised to keep Shane away from the service, but begged Hershel to give Shane another chance. Hershel said he would think about it, which I was only half surprised by. Hershel was a better person than me.

When I was finished, I was about to go downstairs when Beth stopped me.

"Will you come here?" Beth asked quietly, her face poking out from behind her bedroom door.

"Of course." I replied softly, immediately going into her room when she opened the door.

"Maggie left this with me." Beth said, going to her bed. "She said you could wear it if you wanted."

I went to the bed. There was a plain, black dress laid out there for me. It was knee length, much shorter than Annette's floor length skirts. The cap sleeves were also much shorter than the elbow length sleeves on Annette's blouses. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was a nice dress all the same. Besides, it belonged to Maggie. It was special to me.

"I would love to wear this." I murmured, running my fingers over the soft fabric.

"Maggie wore it to our cousin's funeral last year." Beth replied. "I'm wearing what I wore to that."

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" I asked, touching a section of Beth's hair.

"Diana…"

Beth suddenly threw herself at me. She began crying into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. As she cried, I could feel her inhaling the scent from her mother's robe. In that moment, I could feel Beth's pain. I remembered laying in my sister's bed after she did, trying to soak up as much of her scent as I could. One day, just days before Allen was released on bail, her scent was gone. As I remembered my own loss, and experienced Beth's, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

"I'm here for you, Beth." I murmured against her hair, trying to contain my tears. "No matter what happens, no matter what you go through, I will always be here for you. Always."

I held Beth until her cries quieted. When she was calm, I braided her hair. She and I got dressed together. I left my knives on Beth's bed. I didn't think it was appropriate to wear them to the service.

"I'm going to give you some time alone." I told Beth when we were dressed. "Whenever you feel ready, come on outside. We'll be waiting…_I'll_ be waiting for you."

Beth sat down on her bed as I left. I hoped she would be all right.

I went outside, and was surprised to see Daryl waiting at the bottom of the steps. He looked just as surprised to see me. It took me a minute to realize that he wasn't surprised to see me. I could tell by the look on his face that he thought I looked pretty. That wouldn't have mattered to me at any other time, but after the day I had, it made me smile.

"What're you all dressed up for?" Daryl asked as I descended the steps.

"The service." I replied. "Maggie loaned this dress to me. I thought it was nice."

"I don't know." Daryl shrugged.

"Have you ever been to a funeral?" I asked, walking slowly with Daryl towards the graves.

"Yeah." Daryl frowned deeply. "Yeah. I been to a funeral, but I don't remember what I wore."

"I wore a black dress similar to this one to my sister's funeral." I said with a sigh. "It seems like so long ago that she died, but other times it feels like only yesterday…"

When Daryl didn't respond, I turned my head to look up at him. He was looking down at me.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Nothin'." Daryl mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "I hear you spit on Shane."

"I did." I replied with a nod.

Daryl shook his head with a chuckle.

"You are somethin'. I didn't know girls knew how to spit."

"I didn't realize I knew how to either." I admitted.

As we got closer to the graves, I stopped walking. Daryl did too, turning to look at me with a confused expression.

"Daryl, why did you stop me from killing Shane?" I asked.

"I thought you was gonna be real mad at me for that." Daryl muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why did you stop me?" I repeated my question.

"'Cause Shane had a gun in his hands." Daryl said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I didn't care." I replied.

"I know you didn't, but _I_ did." Daryl snapped.

I was surprised by Daryl's confession. I thought our friendship and our physical relationship was like any other, but I was coming to find out that Daryl really did care for me. It would have mattered to him if Shane would have shot and injured or killed me in front of the barn. His sentiment touched my heart.

"Daryl-"

"Let's go." Daryl grumbled, stalking off towards the graves.

0o0o0

When the service was through, Maggie and I took Beth inside. She seemed to be doing much better than earlier that day. She even volunteered to clean up the kitchen from that morning, which had been neglected after all of the excitement that day. While she cleaned, Maggie and I sat together on the couch in the front room.

"I never got to say thank you for letting me borrow this dress." I said, running a hand over the dress on my body. "That was a very sweet gesture. Thank you."

"It's been hanging in my closet since last year." Maggie shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Well, I know how you've felt about me…" I slowly looked up to gauge Maggie's reaction.

"I'm trying to be better." Maggie admitted quietly. "I guess after what Shane did today, I see that the real person I should have been worried about was him. I shouldn't have been worried about you."

I suddenly felt an urge to tell Maggie the truth about my life. I still respected her for protecting her family by keeping me at arms length, and I wanted her to know that her suspicions were justified.

"Maggie…"

A crash in the next room caught my and Maggie's attention. We both looked into the kitchen, and as we both laid eyes on Beth's fallen form, we screamed her name in unison. Maggie and I rushed to Beth's side. She didn't move as we lifted her up off the floor.

"Dad!" Maggie yelled as she and I carried Beth towards Patricia's bedroom. "Patricia!"

We carried Beth into the bedroom, laying her gently on the bed.

"I'll go find my dad." Maggie said quickly, darting out of the room before I could reply.

I took Beth's thin wrist into my hand, finding her pulse point with my fingers. I counted each beat as I watched the clock on the nightstand. I didn't even have to keep count to know that her heart was racing at an abnormal speed. I held her hand in mine, using my other to push her hair off her face.

"Beth, can you hear me?" I asked softly, brushing her cheek. "Sweetheart?"

When Beth's eyes suddenly fluttered open, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back, honey." I murmured with a grateful smile. "Are you all right?"

Beth didn't answer me. Her blue eyes stared up blankly up at the ceiling. As I watched her, confused by her behavior, I noticed that she barely blinked. She was still out of it.

"Beth, what is it?" I asked, squeezing her hand. "Tell me what it is so that I can help you."

I turned my head when I heard Maggie return, but not with her father. Instead, she came into the bedroom with Patricia and Glenn.

"Will someone get me a cool rag?" Patricia asked, settling down beside Beth on her other side.

"I'll be right back." Glenn said, racing from the room.

"Is she awake?" Maggie asked, standing over my shoulder.

"I don't think so." I replied, looking up at her. "She won't answer me when I speak to her."

"Let me try."

I switched places with Maggie, watching as she tried to reach her sister, but to no avail. Glenn returned with a wet rag, which Patricia used all over Beth's face and neck to soothe her.

"Where is your father?" I asked.

"I don't know." Maggie murmured, glancing up at me. "I can't find him anywhere."

"What?" I asked. "He has to be around here somewhere. Did you check the stables-"

"The van is gone." Maggie interrupted. "He must have taken it somewhere…"

"Where?" I asked, looking between Patricia and Maggie.

"I have an idea." Maggie said suddenly, getting up. "Glenn, come with me. We're going to need some help if we're going to find my dad."

"What should I do?" I asked.

"Stay with my sister until we figure out what to do." Maggie replied from the doorway. "Come and find me if her condition changes at all."

"I will." I promised, sitting down on the bed.

I stayed by Beth's side, trying to get her to speak or communicate in some way while Patricia kept an eye on her vitals. Beth's blood pressure was high as her heart continued to race as though she was running a marathon. Patricia and I took turns getting the rag wet to soothe Beth's skin. Neither one of us knew what to do for her. We needed Hershel.

An hour passed before Maggie returned.

"Rick, Glenn, and Daryl are going after my dad." Maggie announced as she came into the room. "We think he might have gone to the tavern in town. He used to go there all the time when he drank."

"Do you want me to go with them?" I asked.

"No." Maggie shook her head. "I think you should be here with me when Beth wakes up."

It made me smile, though Beth lay in a comatose state, that Maggie was beginning to accept me. She knew Beth and I cared for each other. Beth would want to be surrounded by people she loved when she woke up.

"I have an idea." I said, thinking of Annette's clothes in my bureau.

"I'm going to see the guys off." Maggie left the room at the same time as me. "Will you be right back?"

"I'll be right back." I replied, heading down the hall to my bedroom.

I went into my bedroom and right to the bureau where Annette's clothing hung. As I was taking several blouses off their hangers, I heard the door shut behind me. At first, I thought it was just the door shutting all on its own. When I heard the lock, I knew someone was in the bedroom with me. Before I even turned around, I knew who it was. I slowly turned to see Shane standing in front of the locked door. In his hands was my bag, the bag containing all of my envelopes, one of which had Jesse's pictures in it. I remained calm as I spied my pouch on the bed.

"So…you know…?" I asked, taking a slow step to the side of the bureau.

Shane let my bag drop to the floor.

"I knew my brother didn't die of no natural causes." Shane growled. "It was you…"

I took another sidestep.

"It _was_ me." I admitted with a curtsy. "It was some of my finest work."

Shane grinned and rubbed his nose.

"You're smart now, but you won't be so smart later." Shane promised, licking his lips.

Shane's and my eyes were locked. I knew the wheels were turning in his brain. He was deciding whether or not to make the first move. I wasn't going to give him a chance. I was going to make the first move.

I flew forward to the bed, reaching for my pouch. Shane had the same thought. He knocked my pouched off the bed as he reached for me. His hand tightened around my wrist, pulling me forward. With my free hand, I made a fist and connected it with Shane's face. The blow stunned him momentarily, allowing me a moment to get out of his hold to get to my pouch. I searched the floor for it, spying the strap peeking out from under the bed. I got down to my knees, reaching under the bed for my pouch. Shane's hand was in my hair, pulling me up off the ground. I attacked his face with both my hands, raking my nails across his skin to get away from him. I needed only one syringe to do it. I just needed one of them.

With Shane's hand still in my hair, I pulled in the opposite direction. I didn't care if he pulled out a clump of my hair. If I had my hands on scissors or a knife, I would have cut it from his grip myself. My fingers touched the pouch. It was within reach. I struggled to get out of Shane's grasp, clutching the air around my pouch. As I fought to get at it, I was able to knock it closer. I pulled it out from under the bed. Shane saw that I had it. He let go of me as I unzipped the pouch. He was stomping around the bed to get to me, but I had already pulled out a syringe. I pulled back the plunger, holding it defensively. Shane stopped, his eyes glancing from the syringe to my face.

"What're you going to do with that?" Shane asked. "There's nothing in it."

"You're an imbecile just like your brother." I snapped, gripping the syringe in my hand.

That was enough to provoke Shane. He bounded forward, but I reached out, opening one of the bureau doors. I heard Shane slam into it before he could stop himself. I took my chance, switching hands with the syringe. I moved my arm around the door, stabbing the needle deep into Shane's neck. Before I could push down on the plunger, he was grabbing my wrist. I used my free hand to slam the door into his head again, but Shane had a hold on me. He pulled me to him, his opposite arm wrapping around my neck. He pulled me into a chokehold, lifting me off the ground. I tried to claw at his arm or reach for the plunger on the syringe sticking out of his neck, but I was losing air fast.

The last thing I remembered before everything went black was the look in Shane's eyes. I knew he wasn't going to kill me. He had other things in store for me…


	18. Want and Need

**Want and Need**

**ScornedxRose: **Oh, did you? Hahaha. I couldn't have Daryl walking around while Shane plotted against Diana. I have a feeling he would have showed up to take care of business. Here's your update!

**animebird16: **Trust me, so do I. Here's your update. I hope it came quickly enough for you!

**Maddy120296: **Well, you have to remember that Diana had a method when she killed those men (or at least the ones after Allen and Greg). She would restrain her victims in some way so that they couldn't get away from her. Diana knows how to use knives and guns, which weren't available to her at the time Shane decided to take action. She was never trained in hand to hand combat. I think it's plausible that she wouldn't have been able to fight Shane off, but at least she tried. I would like to think that if I was in a situation like that, I would fight tooth and nail to get away, but I probably wouldn't have been able to either. I don't mean to sound sexist at all, but men are typically stronger than women. Besides all that, Diana isn't perfect, even though others around her seem to think she is. Here's your update!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Ugh, where's Daryl when you need him? I laughed when I read what you said about Shane being like a cockroach. Don't worry. His time will come.

**Leyshla Gisel: **I understand your dilemma! Hahaha.

**chellybobellyy: **Dun, dun, dun!

**jouetdedestin: **I couldn't have said it better myself.

0o0o0

The morning after his first search with Diana, Daryl was up before she got to his tent. Truthfully, he had trouble sleeping that night. He had been thinking about Diana, and wondering why he seemed to have her on his mind most of the time. He just couldn't understand why a smart and beautiful woman like her would come anywhere near him, let alone engage in flirtatious behavior with him. He got the feeling that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, but he would never ask her. He wouldn't put himself out there like that, not for anyone.

"Knock, knock."

Daryl turned to see Diana outside of his tent. She was holding a mug, which she held out to him.

"I brought you a pick-me-up this morning." Diana told him with a smile.

Daryl came out of his tent. He looked at the mug, then back up at Diana. She never ceased to surprise or confuse him. He could feel his head spinning. He wasn't used to spending so much time and energy thinking about a woman.

"It's black." Diana said.

Daryl took the mug from Diana, but he was still too intrigued by her gesture to take a sip. As he studied her act of kindness, he also studied her body. Diana was wearing one of the blouses she usually wore around the farm. He wondered why she wasn't wearing the T-shirt she had worn the past two times she was out in the woods.

"Why you wearin' that?" Daryl asked.

"I couldn't find the shirt Maggie loaned to me." Diana answered. "I'm going to get Suzie ready to go. I'll see you at the stables?"

Daryl nodded, watching Diana walk away. His eyes followed her hips from side to side as she walked, the outline of the knife at her thigh clearly visible through her tight pants. Daryl looked down into his black coffee as he drank, trying to soothe the fire building inside of him. He closed his eyes, inhaling the coffee deep into his lungs. A new scent mingled with the strong coffee, and Daryl knew it was her. He groaned. The woman was everywhere.

Daryl was about to go down to the stables when he caught sight of one of his shirts hanging over his tent. He thought about Diana wearing the nice blouse. He knew she would be more comfortable in something else, but he also knew she didn't have anything to choose from. Before he could chicken out, Daryl grabbed a fistful of the shirt and carried it with him to the stables. Halfway there, he considered throwing it to the side. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Diana would reject him. Daryl was sure he would want to shoot himself out of sheer embarrassment if Diana turned her nose up at his shirt. As he got closer to the stables, Daryl wondered why he put himself in those kinds of situations. He blamed Diana.

"What's that?" Diana asked immediately.

"I…uh…" Daryl tried to work up the courage to give the shirt to Diana. "I brought it for…you…"

Thought it was only a few seconds, Daryl felt like it was hours before Diana gave him a smile and accepted the shirt. Daryl breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, and promised himself to never do such a thing again. He hated feeling anxious and out of control. Most of all, he hated feeling vulnerable.

"Thank you." Diana said.

"So I was thinkin'…"

As Daryl spoke, Diana began unbuttoning her blouse. Daryl couldn't help but catch the very top of Diana's white bra before he turned around to hide the heat flooding his face. It was times like that that made Daryl wonder if Diana was coming on to him, or if she was toying with him for fun. The fact that he couldn't tell frustrated him to the point where he didn't know whether to be angry or turned on.

"You were thinking…?" Diana repeated from behind him.

"I was thinkin' it might be a good idea to go back to the farmhouse I found a few days back."

"Why?"

"It looked like someone was stayin' there. The closest source of water to that house is where we were yesterday."

"Okay."

It was quiet. Daryl wondered if Diana was in her bra, or if she was in his shirt. He wondered if she had decided not to wear his shirt after all.

"I'm dressed." Diana said suddenly.

Daryl turned around to see that Diana had put his shirt on. The shirt was big on her, exposing her bra in the armpits. The buttons started lower on her than they would have on Daryl. He watched the way her body moved inside of his shirt as she finished getting Suzie ready.

"It's your turn to lead if you want." Diana said when she was finished.

Daryl eagerly took the chance to lead. He knew that the temptation of riding behind Diana could prove to be too much for him, and that he might end up touching her again. He quickly mounted the horse, taking hold of the reigns as Diana climbed up behind him. As she situated herself behind him, Daryl froze when her arm encircled his waist. He didn't know how to react or what to do. He hadn't been expecting her to do that, but then again, the woman was strange and unpredictable.

"Did I hurt you?" Diana asked quietly.

"Naw." Daryl replied, his tongue nearly tangling in his mouth.

Daryl didn't like that Diana had the upper hand. He knew that she knew that she made Daryl feel insecure and nervous. Daryl was pretty sure that it amused Diana to know that she made him feel that way. As Daryl set off for the day, he decided to try harder to fight his urges. If Diana wanted to play games, Daryl would play them right back. He wasn't going to give in without a fight.

0o0o0

Daryl took Sophia to her mom right away when he and Diana got back to the farm. He carried her from the stables and towards the campsite, but by the time he was halfway there, nearly everyone was rushing over to see them. Carol burst into tears the moment she laid eyes on her daughter, and followed Daryl as he took her up to the house. He deposited the girl on the same bed he and Carl had been laid up in when they were injured. Though Hershel, Carol, and Rick tried to speak with him, Daryl found his feet carrying him out of the house and in the direction of the stables. He wasn't going to receive any thanks or answer any questions without Diana, because without her, he might not have made it out of the woods alive that day at the ridge. She was just as responsible for finding Sophia as he was.

As Daryl reached the stables, he stopped just under the roof. Shane was standing in front of Diana, who was currently not wearing a shirt.

"I came to see if you were all right, but I guess you thought I was someone else." Shane was saying when Daryl arrived at the stables.

Both Shane and Diana were oblivious to Daryl's presence. He knew that if Shane was threatening Diana, the conversation they were having would have been much different. In fact, a conversation probably wouldn't even be taking place.

Diana put her blouse back on, and Daryl saw his shirt hanging over a stall door not far from where he was standing.

"What's goin' on between you two?" Shane asked her.

"What business is that of yours? I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not your wife. I'm not even your friend. Why is my business your business?"

"You're the one who came onto me, honey."

Daryl suddenly became aware of his heart pounding violently in his chest. Seeing Shane in close proximity to Diana, especially while she had been dressing, was making Daryl very angry.

"I didn't realize making a pass at someone was the same as proposing marriage."

"You got me all wrong. I ain't interested in marriage. I liked what we had going on."

Daryl couldn't take it anymore as Shane moved closer and closer to Diana. Since his presence was going unnoticed by both of them, he simply moved forward to grab his shirt from the stall door before turning around and heading back out the way he came.

Daryl made his way back to camp, again avoiding everyone around him when they tried to ask him about Sophia. He simply crawled into his tent and laid down. He had to relax, otherwise he felt like he might explode at the drop of a hat. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply to slow his heart rate and calm his nerves.

As he was lying on his back, taking deep breaths, he inhaled a scent he recognized. Daryl opened his eyes, which immediately fell on the flannel shirt he had given to Diana. Without getting up, Daryl grabbed the shirt and pulled it up to his face. He studied it in the sunlight spilling into his tent. The shirt looked just the same as before, maybe slightly dirtier, but that was to be expected. Daryl brought the shirt to his nose. He inhaled, and immediately his lungs were filled with Diana's scent. Daryl went to throw the shirt away from him, thinking that smelling her would only make him feel worse, but it didn't. In fact, Diana's scent was giving him a feeling of euphoria. Daryl smelled his shirt again, closing his eyes as his anger slowly melted away.

He laid there for a long time, but stirred when he heard Diana's voice in camp. Daryl discarded the shirt so that he could see what was going on. He climbed out of his tent, his eyes landing on Carol and Diana as they spoke. As Daryl watched them, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see what it was. Shane walked through camp. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Shane gave Daryl a wink before looking away from him. It was enough to reignite the anger Diana's scent had pushed away. Daryl clenched his fists at his sides, talking himself down from beating Shane to a bloody pulp. That would get the smirk off his face.

Daryl looked in Diana's direction again, catching her eye. Diana waved, but Daryl refused to wave back or give her any indication that he cared. He was too angry to care. For a minute, Daryl considered just crawling back into his tent, but knew it would smell like her. Instead, Daryl walked out of camp to get away from everyone else and Diana.

"What are you doing?"

Daryl looked back to see Diana following him.

"What does it look like I'm doin'?" Daryl asked, turning his head back around. "I'm walkin'."

"Where are you headed?"

Just like Daryl knew it would, his anger unleashed itself upon the first thing to pester him even in the slightest. It set its sights on Diana, the closest target. Remembering the conversation he had witnessed between Shane and Diana, Daryl quickly replied.

"Why is my business your business?"

"Whoa."

Diana startled Daryl by grabbing his wrist. Instinctively, he pulled away from her.

"Did I do something to you?" Diana asked.

Daryl refused to tell Diana he had seen her and Shane together. He didn't want to know what had happened between them, if anything at all. Judging by the smirk on Shane's face, and the wink he had given Daryl, he guessed something must have happened. Daryl wondered what happened to the Shane that was 'turned off' from Diana. That hadn't lasted long.

"Naw. I just wanna be by myself. Is that all right with you?" Daryl asked.

"That's fine. I'll be out of your hair in a minute. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Carol says she wants to cook dinner for everyone tomorrow night. She also said something about having a fire at your camp afterward."

Daryl had been unaware of Carol's plans, but didn't see what they had to do with anything.

"So?"

"Well, Shane approached me about continuing our relationship. You know what I mean?"

Daryl knew exactly what Diana meant. Shane still wanted Diana the same way Daryl wanted her. There was no contest. Diana wanted to kill Shane, so if given the chance, she would do anything to get close enough to him to take him out. Even if she wanted Daryl in some way, which he was still unsure of, he had nothing to give or offer her in return. There was no reward for her.

"Yeah. I got it. What's your point?" Daryl asked angrily.

"My point is, maybe tomorrow night is the chance I've been looking for. If we're all hanging out around the fire, I could get a little suggestive with Shane, lead him to his tent…"

Daryl clenched his fists at his sides like before. He wanted Diana to go away. He wanted to go somewhere to have some peace and quiet, somewhere he could be alone. That was all he wanted. Even if Diana threw herself at him in that moment, Daryl would have been too angry to fulfill his desires.

"Anyways, what do you think? Do you think that sounds like a good plan, or do you think people would get suspicious if they saw Shane and I go off together-"

"Sounds good. Sounds great." Daryl said quickly, hoping to end the conversation.

"I don't know what your problem is, but I really wish that you could put whatever it is aside for a few minutes to help me like you said you would."

"Seems like you got it all under control. What do you need my help for?" Daryl asked

"The point is that I kept my word. I really thought that you would keep yours, and it's really disappointing to realize that isn't the case at all."

"I never said you could trust me. I never said I was a good guy. I ain't."

It was true. Daryl knew what kind of man he was. He wasn't a good guy like Rick. He wasn't a bad guy like Shane, but he wasn't good either. He had a past he wasn't proud of. He had a reputation from the moment he came into the world, and he had done nothing in his life to alter or fix it. He was a Dixon, and he always would be.

"Oh really? Tell that to the little girl you nearly killed yourself trying to find."

Daryl was at a loss for words. Finding Sophia was truly the best thing he had ever done.

"Are you having second thoughts about Shane? Is that what this is about?" Diana asked.

Daryl realized that Diana thought of Shane the same way he did: as a problem. If he could help her back Shane into a corner, they would both be rid of him for good.

"No. Shane's gotta go." Daryl replied.

"Okay. Good. Now, do you think that Rick or the others will be suspicious if Shane and I leave the fire together before he winds up dead?" Diana asked.

"I guess it depends. How you gonna do it?"

"You let me worry about that."

"If you got some kinda alibi for where you was when he died, I guess nobody can suspect you did somethin' to him."

"Alibi?" Diana asked, her lips pulling into a smile.

"I got some history with police protocol." Daryl shrugged.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to come up with some sort of alibi."

"You gotta make sure you got someone to say they saw you doin' whatever it is you're gonna say you were doin'. Otherwise, it's just your word against Shane bein' dead and you bein' the last person with him."

Daryl knew the ins and outs of how the justice system worked. He had been questioned, arrested, and prosecuted enough times to know what Diana needed to do to get away with her crime. As long as she had a reliable story for where she was during the time Shane died, there would be no reason to suspect that she had anything to do with his sudden death.

Daryl could see Diana trying to think of an idea. He realized before she did that he was the answer. After all, he was the only person other than her who knew of their plan. It made sense that he would be the one to back her up. Though he knew he was her only alibi, Daryl was reluctant to bring his willingness to lie to Diana's attention. It would be late when Diana killed Shane, so everyone would probably assume that if Daryl and Diana were together, they were…

"I…uh…I could…"

"What?"

"Nothin'." Daryl replied, wanting to chicken out.

"What is it?" Diana asked.

"I could…I could say you was…with me…"

"You would do that for me?"

"Why not? You helped me out. I said I'd help you out. I guess this is me helpin' you out."

Daryl didn't know why Diana was making such a big deal about it. She was the one who would be putting her reputation on the line by admitting to everyone that she had spent the night with him.

"Okay. I'm okay with that." Diana said.

"You are?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't care what the others'll think?"

"No. Do I strike you as the type who gives a damn what anyone thinks about what I say or do?"

Daryl lowered his head, a smile gracing his face.

"Naw. I guess not."

"Then it's settled. That wasn't so hard was it?" Diana asked.

"Whatever."

0o0o0

Daryl was on watch the next morning when he saw Diana again. The moment of truth was closing in on them both. That night, Diana would have the opportunity she had been begging for. Daryl knew she was tougher than the other women he was surrounded by, but he wondered if even she could handle killing someone. He didn't feel one shred of guilt over what was going to happen to Shane, but he was feeling somewhat uneasy about Diana's involvement. Daryl couldn't help but use his survivalist mentality to think of the worst case scenario. Images of Diana, dead on the floor of Shane's tent flickered through his mind. If Shane had even one second to overpower her, Diana was as good as dead.

As Daryl looked over the campsite, he suddenly saw Diana heading for Shane. She was wearing a floral print dress with thin straps, a different look from her usual blouses and skirts. Even from a distance, she looked good to Daryl. He watched her as she walked through camp towards Shane, who was admiring her in the same way as Daryl. He looked on as they started talking. He could see their mouths moving, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Daryl could tell that Diana was putting on an act as she twirled in a circle and pushed her hip out. She would have never behaved that way normally. Though Diana had been bold on many occasions, it still surprised Daryl when she suddenly grabbed onto Shane between his legs. He wanted to be angry, but all he could do was wish that it was her hand on him. Just imagining her hand anywhere near his dick was exciting him.

Later that day, when dinner was served, Daryl made his way inside. He found it comical that Diana was sitting in between Shane and Lori. Daryl was still convinced that something had happened between the two of them. He wondered how Lori felt about the attention Shane was showing Diana. If it was anything like how Daryl felt when he saw them together, he understood Lori's feelings.

Daryl sat across from Shane as Hershel asked everyone to join hands for grace. He watched Diana slip her hand in Shane's.

As dinner started, Daryl kept one eye on Shane and Diana while he ate. He was glad that no one was trying to talk to him as he concentrated on multitasking. He would have snapped or grumbled at anyone who tried to say a word to him. He was busy.

Just a few minutes after everyone started eating, Daryl saw Diana flinch. If he would have blinked, he would have missed it. It had been so quick. Daryl immediately looked to Shane, who was staring down at his plate as he ate. Daryl followed the length of his arm, realizing that from the angle, he clearly had his hand on Diana beneath the table. The bastard couldn't even wait until later, when he and Diana were at least out of Daryl's sight.

Diana masked her discomfort well. She carried on conversation with Rick and Lori, all while Shane was touching her under the table. Daryl realized that he had crushed the biscuit he had been holding. He opened his hand, letting it crumble onto his plate. He wiped his hand off on his sleeve as he continued to watch Shane like a hawk. When Diana winced a second time, Daryl couldn't hold back any longer. He glanced beneath the tablecloth to locate Shane's foot, then aimed a swift kick at his shin.

"Hey!" Shane shouted, jerking in his chair.

"Sorry." Daryl apologized halfheartedly.

Daryl couldn't help but smile, if only to keep from chuckling. He felt better.

Shane didn't touch Diana again during dinner, or if he did, Diana didn't show it like before. When the meal was over, Shane immediately headed outside. Diana remained inside. While she was still inside, Daryl headed out to the RV. He had switched shifts with Dale so that he could keep an eye out while Diana went into Shane's tent. He wanted to keep watch in case things went south.

The kids were in their tents. Glenn was nowhere to be seen. Everyone else was circled around the fire. It was almost like old times at the quarry, but only if you went by appearances. Things were different. Ever since Rick came into the picture, the dynamic of the group had changed.

Diana came out of the house, joining the others around the fire. She sat next to Shane. Daryl watched them as they talked, trying to be inconspicuous so that none of them noticed how closely he was watching. After a short while, Shane and Diana were already getting up from the fire. They walked together to Shane's tent. Daryl swiveled to watch them as Shane opened the flap to let Diana inside. He went in after her.

Daryl kept one eye on the tent and another on his surroundings. He couldn't hear any sounds coming from Shane's tent. He didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. As the seconds ticked by, knots began forming in Daryl's gut. He squirmed from the top of the RV, wanting to know what was going on and if everything was going according to plan.

Suddenly, Diana emerged from the tent. Daryl straightened up as he looked her over. Her dress was rumpled and wrinkled. The straps were down on her shoulders. Diana quickly fixed them at the same time she shoved something down into her dress. She didn't look happy. Daryl was unsure of the frown on her face as she slowly made her way through camp and up to the house. She hadn't cast one look in Daryl's direction. He had a bad feeling as he waited to see what was going to happen.

After a few minutes, Shane came out of his tent. He looked just as upset as Diana. When he walked, he covered his crotch with one hand. He slowly hobbled over to the fire.

Daryl wanted to go in to see Diana, but he knew he had to wait it out. He still had two hours left on watch before he could find out what had happened. He felt restless the whole time, pacing the roof and trying to keep his mind busy with other things. The only problem was that there was nothing else for him to think about. Those two hours dragged on for eternity before Dale took over for Daryl. The moment the old man climbed up onto the roof, Daryl was climbing down.

Since it was late, Daryl figured he would go to Diana's window. He knew which room was hers from the night she had looked in on him. He made his way around to the back of the house. There were three windows in Diana's bedroom. Daryl stood in front of the center window, peering in. The lights were all off, but in the moonlight, Daryl could see Diana in bed. Her eyes were closed. She was sleeping. For a moment, Daryl considered leaving her be, but then he remembered how she had looked when she left Shane's tent. He needed to know if Shane hurt her, or if he was on to their plan.

Daryl hoisted himself up onto the windowsill, then pulled himself through. He was barely on his feet for one second before he was suddenly being knocked to the floor. He hadn't seen Diana coming at him. He hadn't been prepared.

"Diana, what the hell?!"

Daryl sat up when Diana got off of him.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I thought you were someone else."

"Damn. You tryin' out for the Falcons or what?"

"I apologize." Diana replied in her usual cool, calm manner. "What exactly are you doing climbing through my window?"

"I came to see if you was all right. You left Shane's tent real quick and in a hurry." Daryl admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

"You saw that?" Diana asked.

"I just saw how you looked after…" Daryl realized that Diana was still wearing the same dress. "He hurt you?"

Diana shook her head.

"You sure?"

"I gave him a knee to the balls before he could do anything." Diana said nonchalantly.

"Damn. Is that how you was plannin' on killin' him?" Daryl asked, chuckling quietly in the shadows.

"That wasn't what I had in mind." Diana replied with a smile.

Though Daryl found so much humor in Diana kneeing Shane in the balls, especially since he had witnessed Shane hobbling around camp afterward, he became serious again very quickly. He still wanted to know what had happened inside of that tent.

"I was going to tie him up, probably gag him, but he wouldn't let me. Then, he got rough with me. I just…I didn't want to…"

Daryl understood what Diana meant from their earlier conversation. Sleeping with Shane, for her, was a means to an end. If she had been a man, she would have just overpowered him. Instead, she had to get his defenses down by having sex with him. The likelihood of Shane still wanting Diana after she injured his man parts and his pride was slim, but Shane was a pig. Daryl didn't want Diana to have to go through all of that again.

"You want me to just do it?"

"No. I'm going to do it." Diana replied confidently. "It will just be a lot harder now that he won't want anything to do with me. I'm not going to be so nice next time."

"You planned on bein' nice before?" Daryl asked.

"I guess not."

Now that Daryl knew Diana hadn't been harmed, the man in him was taking over. Though her dress was wrinkled and her hair was mussed, she still looked as good as ever. One of the straps of her dress had fallen down her shoulder. Daryl wanted more than anything to reach out and fix it, which is why he suddenly got up off the floor. He had to leave before he did something he would regret.

"Well, I just wanted to see if you was all right, and since you are, I'm gonna go…"

"Thank you for checking on me. That was really sweet of you."

"Right."

Daryl was about to leave, but there was something about the way Diana was looking at him that kept him in his place. It was like he was in a trance. Diana was looking into his eyes so intensely that Daryl felt as if she could read his mind if she wanted to. Even though she was making him feel vulnerable, he couldn't tear his eyes from hers. He knew what she wanted. He knew because he wanted the same thing. He had wanted it ever since he saw her in that robe.

Before he really knew what he was doing, Daryl was returning a kiss Diana was giving him. He had never been much of a kisser, but if Diana wanted him to kiss her, that was what he was going to do. Daryl thought kissing was awkward. When he kissed a girl in the past, all he was thinking while they were making out was, 'when are we gonna get to it?'

Suddenly, Diana was pulling on Daryl's shoulders. He could tell by the intensity in which she was tugging on him that she wanted him to lower her to the floor. Daryl quickly obliged, laying down over top of her as they continued kissing. Daryl felt Diana's hands fumbling with his crossbow strap like it was a bra she was trying to unhook. His hands took over for hers, pulling off his crossbow in one movement. With the crossbow off his back, Daryl allowed Diana to roll over on top of him.

Diana moved her hips against Daryl's as she unbuckled his belt and undid his pants. He could feel the heat coming off of her below. It was only making him want her more. He hoped Diana was through with their kissing. He needed to be inside of her. When Daryl felt Diana's fingers wrap around his erection, he could barely contain himself. He was having the woman he thought he would never have. He, Daryl Dixon, was going to have his way with a woman who didn't wait tables or work a pole.

As Daryl entered Diana, he felt shivers running down his spine. He was unaccustomed to a woman giving him that feeling, especially during sex. Sure, Daryl enjoyed sex, but Diana was different than the other women Daryl had been with. Each time Diana moved up and down on Daryl's erection, he felt his insides becoming hotter and hotter. Daryl grasped Diana's hips, feeling her move against him.

"Diana…" Daryl groaned.

"Call me Corinne." Daryl heard Diana whisper.

Daryl opened his eyes to look up at Diana.

"Corinne…"

When they were finished, Diana rolled off of Daryl and onto the floor beside him. Daryl used the end of his shirt to clean himself up. He would have to do a better job later. When he was satisfied, Daryl put his penis back into his boxers. He looked to his side as he did up his pants and belt. To his surprise, Diana had fallen asleep. He could tell by the way she breathed.

Daryl sat up beside Diana. He planned to leave after they were finished even before she fell asleep, but Daryl didn't want to leave her on the floor with her dress hiked up over her thighs. He wasn't going to crawl in bed with her, but he would at least put her in it. He carefully scooped Diana up into his arms, trying to move slowly so that he didn't wake her. He carried her silently to the bed, and that was when he noticed all of the pictures and envelopes scattered across the bed. Using his knee to keep Diana balanced in his hold, Daryl used one arm to sweep everything to one side of the bed. When there was space for her, Daryl laid Diana down.

He was going to leave, but he couldn't help his curiosity. Daryl kept his eyes on Diana as he circled the bed to the side where he had pushed the pictures. When he was sure she wasn't going to wake up, Daryl picked up several photos. The first few he flipped through were all mugshots. They were all of different men. Daryl paused when he flipped to one photo. It was a picture of a man lying in bed. His eyes were wide open. Daryl recognized death when he saw it. The man in the photo was dead.

Daryl matched three mugshots to three pictures of dead men. After three, Daryl didn't need to look anymore. He knew that all of the dead men were criminals. As Daryl looked up from the photos, he watched Diana as she slept soundly a few feet away. He remembered how confident Diana had been when it came to killing Shane, and now he understood where that confidence came from. Diana knew she could kill Shane because she had killed before. She killed criminals.

When Diana stirred, Daryl dropped the photos. Diana became still just as quickly as she had moved in her sleep. Daryl didn't want to take any chances that she woke with him going through her pictures. He quickly moved towards the windows, but paused before he could climb out. He glanced back at the pictures scattered across the bed. Daryl didn't know how many people knew about Diana's past. He had a feeling nobody did. Daryl knew what he had to do. He had to hide those pictures in case Beth or Maggie or someone else came into Diana's bedroom.

Daryl quickly shoved all of the photos and envelopes into the bag sitting on the pillow opposite Diana's head. When the bag was filled and closed up, he made his departure.

Everyone in camp was asleep, except Dale. Daryl went right into his tent and laid down. He thought about everything that had happened that night. Though someone else might have felt differently about the photos and Diana's past, Daryl didn't feel afraid. For the first time, Diana wasn't a complete mystery to him. He understood her.

Daryl picked up the shirt he had loaned her the day before. He placed it over his face. It still carried her scent. As Daryl drifted off to sleep, with each inhale and exhale, he was surrounded by Diana's scent. It was becoming more and more familiar to him.


	19. Survival Instinct

**Survival Instinct**

**Author's Note:** This chapter is going to be a combination of Diana's and Daryl's POV. I didn't want to do it that way, but I also didn't want to break up this chapter based on perspective. So, I went ahead and just combined the two. Also, Randall doesn't exist in this story. Enjoy.

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you so much! Here's your update!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Was that sarcastic? Haha.

**animebird16: **I didn't do a good job of conveying the reason Diana decided not to call for help, so I included the explanation in this chapter. Here's your update! You're welcome!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **All right, let's spray this bastard ;)

0o0o0

When I came to, my head was pounding, no doubt from being deprived of air. I experienced a moment of panic when I felt something soft balled up in my mouth. From the taste of it, it was a sock or stocking of some kind. A layer of duct tape was secured over my face, keeping the gag in my mouth. I looked up at the ceiling. I was no longer inside of Hershel's home. I turned my head to the side, and immediately I knew where I was. I was in the barn. I tried to move, but I knew without looking that my wrists and ankles were bound. I looked down at myself to inspect the damage. There was rough, heavy duty rope around my wrists and ankles. Other than that, and my worsening headache, I didn't appear to have suffered any other injuries while unconscious. I needed to remain calm if I was going to get out of the barn alive.

I rolled onto my side, using my tied wrists to pull myself across the wood beneath me. I looked over the side of the loft below. There didn't appear to be anyone or anything inside. The ladder that was usually leaned against the barn walls or against the loft itself was missing. The only way down was to roll out of the loft, but I couldn't risk it. The best case scenario was that I would only break a limb, but if I fell at a wrong or awkward angle, I could kill myself.

I looked down at the rope around my wrists and ankles. Trisha taught me how to escape zip ties and duct tape, but I didn't know how to get free from rope. I was just going to have to work my wrists and hands in a fury until I loosened the knots. Meanwhile, I would rub my wrists raw in the process. I rolled away from the edge of the loft so that I could start trying to free myself from my binds.

The light spilling through the cracks in the barn walls suggested that it was much closer to sundown than it had been when Shane choked me out. I wondered if Rick, Glenn, and Daryl had returned with Hershel. That was when I remembered Beth. I began to violently move my wrists as much as I could within the ropes. I had no idea how Beth was. She could have gotten better or she could have gotten worse. There was no way for me to know if Hershel had returned to administer medical treatment. I had to get free so that I could go to Beth's side. I had to take care of her. She needed me.

I heard the sound of the barn doors opening beneath the loft. I knew it was most likely Shane coming to fulfill his promise of making me suffer, but I couldn't take any chances. I began to thrash wildly, slamming my body and limbs into the wooden floor beneath me to make as much noise as possible. I tried to make sounds around the sock in my mouth, but each time I tried, I gagged against it.

I saw the ladder appear against the loft. Seconds later, Shane climbed up.

"You're up." Shane said excitedly, stepping up onto the loft. "This is the second time I've come to check on you. I was starting to worry you might not wake up at all."

I glared up at Shane as I used my legs, tied together at the ankles, to try and push Shane off of the loft. My feet connected with his legs, but he caught his balance quickly. The act seemed to amuse him. He chuckled as he walked away from the edge.

"Even tied up and gagged, you're still putting up a fight." Shane shook his head with a grin. "I guess I respect that."

Then, without warning, Shane gave me a good kick in the ribs. The blow knocked the wind out of me. I gasped from behind the tape, trying not to choke on the sock in my mouth. I felt like I would never get air into my lungs, but slowly, my breath came back to me. Shane must have seen the relief on my face, because he gave me a second kick the moment I was able to breathe normally again. I could feel tears spring into my eyes as the wind was knocked from me again. I refused to cry. I wasn't going to give Shane the satisfaction of seeing my tears. I looked down at the scar on my arm. I had been hurt before. I was going to take whatever Shane was going to dish out.

Shane crouched down beside me.

"My brother was my best friend." Shane said solemnly. "We were all each other had after our parents died. We were thick as thieves, we were. I looked out for Jesse all my life."

I finally was able to breathe again. I did so quietly to avoid another blow.

"When he died, I blamed myself." Shane shook his head. "I told myself that if I had made the move with him to Alabama, he wouldn't have died. I would have been there to take care of him…"

Shane suddenly reached for me, pulling me up by the sleeves of Maggie's dress. One was torn.

"You took my brother from me." Shane murmured. "You took my best friend."

I threw my head forward, trying to headbutt Shane or get free from his hands. The top of my head caught his lip, but Shane pulled back before he could get the full force of my skull against his. Shane let me fall backwards. I watched as he touched his bloody lip. He looked down at the blood on his fingers with an eerie smile. When he looked back up at me, I was reminded of a shark when it smells blood in the water. Shane's brown eyes had become black.

Shane reached for my hands. He held them in his, keeping a firm grip even when I tried to jerk out of his hold. The look on his face never changed, even when he suddenly grasped my right ring finger and snapped it. I hadn't heard the bone break, but I could tell just by looking at my crooked finger that it was broken. I cried out against the sock in my mouth, squirming and jerking even more to get away from Shane as he then broke my right middle finger. That time, I heard the bone snap. My legs flailed, still tied together, as I tried to kick out at Shane or the barn wall. My two broken fingers were already going numb. I thought Shane would break each finger on my right hand, but he let go of my hands after he broke only two of them. His face hadn't changed once.

"I've been thinking of all the things I could do to you…" Shane said as I tried not to look at my bent fingers. "I finally decided that I'm going to try…a little of everything…"

I braced myself for what would happen next, but Shane got to his feet and went to the ladder.

"I'll be back soon." Shane told me, starting down the ladder. "Just keep one thing in mind."

Shane paused with his head at my level.

"If you make a sound, if you try in any way to make yourself heard or seen, I will make you suffer the way that you made me suffer." Shane's eyes narrowed. "I will sneak into Hershel's house and I will kill your precious Beth."

My eyes widened. I could tell by the look in Shane's eyes that he was telling the truth.

"Do you understand?" Shane asked.

I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I couldn't. I had to nod for Beth's sake.

"Good." Shane replied, his lips never straying from the solemn frown on his face.

I watched as Shane disappeared, then as he pulled the ladder from the loft.

0o0o0

I didn't make a peep while Shane was gone. Though my two broken fingers had gone numb before, the pain came flooding back as I tried to fight against my binds. Each time I moved my hands to loosen the ropes around my wrists, a sharp pain shot through my mangled digits. After a while, I became so used to the pain that it no longer registered with me. All that mattered was getting out of the ropes. I had to get away from Shane so that I could protect Beth and her family. I was beginning to think that Shane might do something to Beth even if I kept quiet like he told me to.

I wasn't sure how long Shane was gone for, but when I heard the barn doors open below, I became still and silent. I didn't want any danger to come to Beth, which is why I hadn't screamed for help when Shane was in my bedroom. Since Shane was so desperate to take revenge, I wasn't sure what lengths he would go to. I hadn't wanted to risk him hurting Maggie, Beth, or Patricia, or worse.

Shane climbed up the ladder. Over his shoulder was a white cable. Before he climbed up all of the way, he set a bucket on the floor of the loft. I could hear liquid sloshing around inside of it. Shane hadn't been bluffing when he said he was going to try a little of everything with me. He was going to take his time, relishing in my pain and suffering.

"Have you been good?" Shane asked as he climbed up into the loft with me.

I watched him as he set the cable down by the bucket. He reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, his fist was clenched. I couldn't see what he had inside.

"I've seen this done in the movies and on TV." Shane said, kneeling down beside me. "It always looked pretty painful."

Shane pulled me up, but immediately pushed me back down into a stack of hay. I watched as his hand opened to reveal several needles. I cringed inwardly, thinking of all the possible places he could put them. My guessing game ended when Shane reached for my left hand. I knew what he was going to do before he did it. I wasn't going to let him torture me without putting up a fight. I struggled against his grip.

"You wouldn't want your Beth to be hurt, would you?" Shane asked, trying to hold my hand steady.

My hand became still in his. He knew what to say to get me to cooperate. If there was any chance that my actions could get Beth hurt or killed, I wasn't going to risk her safety. Shane was a madman.

"That's better."

Shane took one needle into his fingers, holding the others tightly in his palm. He slowly moved it towards my left hand. I watched the needle get closer and closer to my left index finger. I tried to brace myself, clenching my teeth around the sock soaked in saliva. I felt the tip of the needle scrape against my nail, and then Shane was driving it down between the fingernail and flesh. I tried not to make a sound, but the pain was so new and fresh that I could barely hold it together. I thrashed against the hay, making ugly sounds around the gag as Shane drove the needle down as far as it would go. When Shane let go of the needle, I could feel my pulse under the nail. With every beat, the pain worsened.

"That was interesting." Shane grinned. "Let's do it again."

Then, a second needle was being embedded into my left middle finger. My back arched as I tried desperately to fight through the pain. I tried to think of Beth, my sister, Daryl, but it was no use. It was as if Shane knew I was trying to escape the torture in my mind, because whenever it wandered somewhere else, he would put more force on the needle.

Shane put a third needle under my left ring fingernail. I could feel sweat beading at my hairline.

"I wonder if it hurts more to have the needles put in," Shane gripped the tip of the first needle he had driven under my fingernail, "or pulled out."

With one, quick yank, Shane pulled out the needle. I could feel my flesh ripping with it. In answer to his question, it definitely hurt worse going in. Though it was painful to have it pulled out, it was almost a relief. I felt blood oozing down my fingers as he ripped the other two needles out.

"You have blood all over your hand." Shane said, tugging my hands over towards the bucket. "Let's get that cleaned up."

Shane plunged my hands into the bucket. If I would have been ungagged, I would have screamed. Whatever he had put my hands into, it stung the fingers he had driven needles into. My fingers burned as Shane kept them submerged in the liquid. It could have been saltwater, lemon juice, or vinegar. I wouldn't have known the difference. He kept my hand beneath the liquid for several minutes before he pulled them out, shoving me back into the hay once more.

"You remember what I said about Beth?" Shane asked, putting the needles down.

I gave him a nod.

"I'm going to take your gag out, but if you make a sound without my say so, I'll kill you and then her." Shane threatened, reaching for me. "Get it?"

I gave Shane a second nod.

"Good."

Shane ripped the duct tape off my mouth, and though my face felt like I had just been slapped, it felt good to move my lips. I opened my mouth so that Shane could pull the sock out. It was drenched. I took the opportunity to move my jaw and use my mouth to breathe.

"You called my brother a rapist and a murderer." Shane said, tossing the sock aside. "Why would you say that?"

I looked up at Shane as he waited for my answer.

"Because that's what he was." I replied.

With lightning fast speed, Shane had picked up the cable and whipped me across the face with it. My cheeks and nose stung where the cable had hit me.

"You didn't know my brother." Shane murmured, inching closer to me.

I kept my mouth shut.

"Why did you call my brother a rapist?" Shane asked.

"Because he raped four women." I answered, already anticipating the cable.

Shane hit me again in the face with the white cable. Then, he hit me again with it.

"My brother could have any woman he wanted." Shane growled. "Why would he rape anyone?"

"The power and control got him off." I replied, running my tongue over the blood on my lip.

Suddenly, Shane threw the cable around my neck. He brought both ends together, pulling the cable tightly around my throat. When I gasped for air, Shane pulled it even tighter. He pulled me up into a sitting position, his face mere inches from mine. I could feel my face becoming red as I strained to get oxygen into my lungs. Instinctively, my body put up a fight against Shane and the cable.

"My brother was already powerful." Shane said, his eyes becoming black again. "So am I."

Shane released me. I fell back against the hay, sputtering and gasping for air.

"So…you think my brother was a rapist?" Shane asked as I regained oxygen.

I coughed.

"I know…he was." I gasped.

Shane reached for his belt, unbuckling it as he moved closer to me.

"I'll show you a rapist." Shane said, pulling his belt off and throwing it aside.

As Shane crawled over me, fumbling with his pants with one hand, I struggled beneath him. I used my bound fists to beat against his shoulders, face, and chest. I tried to move my legs, to get the rope around them free, but it was no use. I continued to fight, worming my legs out from beneath Shane's legs. I aimed at his crotch with my feet, then sent them flying out. I connected my feet with his balls. The blow sent him backward.

"You bitch." Shane groaned, his hands over his crotch. "You fucking bitch."

Shane reached out, grabbing his belt from off the floor. I threw my arms up over my head as Shane brought the belt down over me. I felt the leather and buckle against my arms, but then Shane was pinning my arms down so that my face was vulnerable. The belt came down again, this time against my face. I felt the buckle collide with my already bloody lip, creating a second cut. Though I tried to roll around to avoid the belt, Shane kept hitting me with it all over my body. He whipped it across my face, chest, stomach, arms, and legs. I could feel welts forming beneath my clothes as Shane continued beating my body with his belt.

"You want to see power?" Shane asked, dropping his belt. "You want to see control?"

Shane moved over me again, this time keeping my arms down beneath him. He straddled my stomach, his weight on top of me making it hard for me to breathe properly. I watched Shane make a fist, but all I could do was turn my face away and close my eyes. I felt flesh and bone against my flesh and bone. Shane's knuckles met my cheekbone. Using his opposite hand, his other fist quickly followed up the first hit. After two punches, I was already becoming dazed. Each time his fists collided with my face, I saw multi colored lights scatter across my vision, even though my eyes were shut tight.

"Lori!"

Shane's fists stopped. I tried to open my eyes, but only my right eye would open. Shane was still on top of me, but he was looking away from me as people outside called out for Lori. After a moment, Shane looked down at me.

"Stay quiet." Shane hissed, reaching out of sight for something.

I was vaguely aware of Shane opening my mouth to shove the wet sock back in my mouth. Then, he was taping my mouth shut again.

I watched as Shane scrambled down the ladder. I waited to see it disappear, but I heard the barn doors open and shut without the ladder being pulled away. In his hurry to get out, Shane had left the ladder leaned against the loft. Though I felt like I could slip into unconsciousness or sleep, I couldn't. I didn't know when Shane would be back. I had to work on my binds so that I could get down that ladder. Getting the knots undone was going to take some time, especially since the ropes around my wrists had been dunked in liquid, which made the knots become tighter.

With the sun close to setting, I began working to get out of the ropes.

0o0o0

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief when the farmhouse was in sight as the sun slowly began to rise. When he had gone with Rick and Glenn, he hadn't expected to be gone all night. He already had reservations about leaving Diana alone on the farm with Shane when he thought he would be gone an hour or two. Then, that became all night and morning. Not to mention, he and the others had been fighting for their lives after the shootout in town.

"I've got to see about my daughter." Hershel said as the van came to a stop.

"If you need anything at all, let us know." Rick replied.

Daryl got out of the van. He figured Diana was inside with Beth, so he went to check out camp. Everyone was coming out of their tents since the van returned. Shane stood with Lori. Daryl was glad to see him. He would have been worried if he was missing from camp.

"Is Hershel all right?" Carol asked as Daryl walked into camp.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded.

"Are _you_ okay?" Dale asked, looking Daryl over.

"Yeah." Daryl answered. "We ran into some trouble in town, but it's all good."

As the others drifted to Rick, Daryl walked to his tent. He wanted to lie down after all that had gone on. As he laid down, he picked up the shirt Diana had worn. He smelled it, but her scent had gone. Daryl threw the shirt across the tent. He closed his tired eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Daryl couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and it had all started with smelling his shirt. That got him to thinking of Diana, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he saw her.

Daryl crawled out of his tent. He didn't want to make a big production out of seeing Diana. He would just go to her windows to see if she was in her room. If Hershel was with Beth, maybe Diana was taking the opportunity to rest. If she wasn't in her room, Daryl would have no choice but to knock on the front door the old fashioned way. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

When Daryl got to the windows, the strange feeling in his gut intensified. Something was wrong. From the windows, Daryl could see that one of the bureau doors was open wide. The bed was in shambles. The quilt was on the floor, the sheet was pull halfway off the bed, and the skirt around the bottom was rumpled. The closet door had been left open as well. Daryl was getting the feeling that something had taken place in Diana's bedroom while he was gone. He needed to know if someone had gone looking through Diana's things, or if someone had gone looking for her.

Daryl climbed in through the window. Besides the two doors being left open and the messy bed, nothing else seemed out of place. Daryl inspected every inch of the room, looking for any clues. In the corner, behind the bureau, Daryl found something that made the knot in his stomach pull tighter. There was a syringe lying on the floor, the needle colored red with blood. There was no way of knowing whose blood it was, but Daryl knew it was one of two people's. It was either Shane's or Diana's.

Daryl looked for Diana's pouch. He searched through the bureau, the nightstand, and the closet. Only when he looked under the bed did Daryl find the purse. He pulled it out. A second syringe was inside, untouched and unused. Daryl turned his head to look at the other needle on the floor. He was beginning to piece together what had happened. There had been a struggle. In that struggle, someone, most likely Diana, had tried to use a syringe to defend themselves. Daryl was unsure of the outcome, but the simple fact that a scuffle had taken place was enough to worry him.

Daryl decided that he needed to go out into the rest of the house. He needed to find Diana, or speak to someone who had seen her last. He needed to know what happened if he was going to move forward with interrogating Shane or killing him.

As he made his way to the front of the house, Daryl came upon Maggie and Glenn in the front room. They both turned when they heard Daryl's footsteps. Both seemed surprised to see him.

"Where did you come from?" Glenn asked.

Daryl circled the couch.

"Maggie, where's Diana?" Daryl asked, glancing around the house for any sign of her.

"Diana?" Maggie's brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought she was with you."

Daryl looked down at Maggie, who was exchanging a mystified look with Glenn.

"Why would you think that?" Daryl asked.

"Lori told me that she decided to follow all of you." Maggie replied, still confused.

Daryl tried to swallow the panic rising in his throat. He kneeled down in front of Maggie.

"When's the last time you saw Diana? With your own eyes?" Daryl murmured.

"She…she was going to her bedroom to get something for Beth…" Maggie's eyes widened. "What's going on?"

Daryl glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming up to the door.

"Shane did something to Diana." Daryl answered quietly. "Her room's a mess. Shane must've snuck into the house to confront her."

"Why would Lori lie?" Glenn asked, becoming bewildered.

"Maybe she didn't know she was lyin'. Maybe Shane told her Diana went after us."

"We have to do something." Maggie said, moving to get up. "We have to confront him."

"No." Daryl replied, holding his hand out. "We can't."

"Why not?"

"Because if there's any chance she's still…" Daryl's voice trailed off as Diana's face flickered through his mind. "If she's still alive…we can't make Shane suspicious that we know what happened. If we do, he'll kill her-"

"If she isn't already dead." Glenn muttered, looking down at the floor.

"She ain't dead." Daryl snapped, getting to his feet. "He's keepin' her somewhere on this property or out in the woods."

"What should we do?" Maggie asked.

"You and Glenn take two horses out into the woods, give some kind of reason for leavin'." Daryl replied, holding onto his crossbow strap. "I'll take a look around here. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of her out in the woods. He could've taken her anywhere."

Without another word, Daryl headed back towards Diana's bedroom.

0o0o0

Shane didn't return all night. Even as the sun slowly crept up into the sky, he didn't come back. I knew something must have happened to keep him away for that long. I figured it had something to do with Lori. I was grateful for the time. Halfway through the night, I started using my feet to help loosen the ropes around my wrists. By the time the sun was starting to rise, I had successfully loosened the knots binding my hands together. My wrists were an angry shade of red, my broken fingers swollen and bruised, but I didn't care as I began to maneuver my way out of the rope. I was going to get free.

When my hands were loose, I quickly began to untie the rope around my ankles. As I was pulling the rope off, I heard the barn doors below opening. I gathered up the ropes, hiding them in the hay. Then, I laid down so that my legs were bent away from Shane's line of sight and my hands were buried in hay. He wouldn't know that I was untied. He wouldn't know until it was too late.

I heard Shane climbing up the ladder. I moved one hand around the rope hidden in hay. As Shane's head appeared, I gripped it tighter. Then, when his feet were on the floor, I reacted before he could touch me. I leapt to my feet, the rope in my hands, and wrapped it around Shane's neck. I pulled it as tight as I could as he swung his arms out at me to grab me. I tried to keep hold of him, but Shane was strong. He moved backward towards the ledge, and then he was going over. With my hands still attached to the rope strangling him, I went over the side with him. We fell in a tangle to the barn floor. When I collided with it, I felt my right arm dislocate.

I rolled off of Shane, using my good arm to pull away the tape. As I went to pull the sock out to call for help, Shane recovered from our fall. He grabbed me with one arm, pinning me to the floor by my chest. I wondered why he wasn't using both arms, but I suddenly noticed a bone protruding from his left arm. He had broken it in the fall. I would have never known. He didn't groan, cry, or scream. It was as if he couldn't feel it, but I had to remind him. I reached out with my left hand, pressing down on the bone and the area around it. Shane howled like a wounded animal, but gathered up enough strength to hit me as hard as he could across the face. In doing so, he no longer had me pinned down.

I used my feet as a battering ram, kicking Shane off of me with a blow to the chest. He fell backward, giving me time to pull the sock out of my mouth.

"Help!" I called out, scrambling to my feet.

As I went to run to the barn doors at the front, Shane grabbed me around the ankle. I fell forward, my chin slamming hard into the floor. The pain radiated up my face like a lightning strike, irritating the wounds on my face that had numbed during the night. My eye began to feel heavy again, like it was blackened for a second time.

Shane started to pull me back, but I clawed at the floor to slow him down. I searched the floor for anything to use as a weapon. My eyes fell upon a turned over box just a few feet away. Inside, coming halfway out of the box, was a pair of old fashioned shears. I thought of my knives in Beth's room. I had to get to those shears. I needed to end it once and for all. I had to fight if I wanted to live.

I flipped over onto my back, looking down at Shane's face as he pulled me to him. With my free leg, I kicked Shane in the face. That didn't deter him from holding onto my ankle, so I kicked him a second time. That blow did it. I was up off the floor in a split second, moving so quickly that I tripped. On my hands and knees, I crawled to the box. I grabbed the shears. The blades were beautiful and sharp. I felt so happy I could have cried.

I got to my feet, turning around to deliver justice. Shane was already standing behind me, a metal rake in his hand. His broken arm dangled limply. One handed, Shane swung the rake at me. I felt the metal against my skull, heard the immediate ringing in my ears. Though my head began to pound like a drum, my primal instinct to fight to survive kicked in. With a battle cry, I flew at Shane, taking him to the ground. I grasped the shears in my good hand, raising them over my head, and plunging them into Shane's chest without hesitation. Though he didn't make a sound, Shane's eyes widened as the shears tore into this flesh. His mouth opened as if he wanted to cry out, but no sound came.

"You son of a bitch!" I screamed, pulling the shears out with all of my might.

I plunged the shears back into Shane's chest, gripping the handle tight to pull them back out.

"You killed Otis!"

I stabbed Shane a third time, watching the life slowly fade in his eyes.

"You're never going to touch Beth!" I screamed, ripping the blades out. "You're never going to touch her!"

As Shane's life slipped away, I heard the barn doors opening. I looked away from Shane's gaping chest wounds to see who had come to my rescue. It was the one person I would have wanted to come for me. It was the only person who would have been able to find me. It was Daryl, his crossbow aimed inside of the barn as he stood in the doorway. It was Daryl.

0o0o0

Daryl looked through Diana's things for her bag of trophies. When he didn't find it, Daryl began to suspect that Shane found it. Daryl's urgency to find Diana grew with that knowledge. He went to the windows, knowing Shane would have had to sneak Diana out through them without anyone seeing. As he inspected the windows, Daryl saw a black thread wrapped around a nail sticking out of the windowsill. An image of Diana in Maggie's black dress flickered through his mind. She had still been wearing it when Shane had taken her.

Daryl climbed out of the window. He looked around the property. Shane could have hidden Diana anywhere. There was the chicken coop, the stables, the barn…

Since the coop was closest, Daryl headed that way first. He swung his crossbow to the front, readying it in the event that he needed to use it. No matter what, Daryl was going to end up using it. He just didn't know if it would be in a moment of urgency or a moment of rage. Either way, an arrow was going to end up between Shane's eyes.

Daryl snuck up on the coop, peeking through the chicken wire. There was no sign of Shane or Diana, but that didn't mean they hadn't been there. Daryl crept around the coop, moving his head around the corner to look inside. The chickens were calm inside, making their little sounds. Daryl stepped inside, sweeping his eyes over every inch of the place. There was no blood, no sign of a struggle. After inspecting the coop, Daryl decided that Shane hadn't taken Diana there.

As Daryl was leaving the coop, he paused. He turned his head in the direction of the barn. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he heard it.

"Help!"

Daryl knew it was her. She was still alive. He ran towards the barn, keeping his crossbow in his arms. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her he was coming, but he couldn't. He couldn't give Shane the opportunity to finish Diana off if he was in the barn with her. Daryl had to catch him by surprise. As he got close, he could hear Diana screaming. Her screams carried him faster to the barn, where he promptly used his shoulder to bust open the barn doors. He aimed his crossbow inside, moving into the shadowy barn with caution.

When he was inside, he saw Shane on the floor. His chest was covered in blood. His head was turned towards Daryl, his eyes unblinking. He was dead.

Daryl lowered his crossbow. He turned his attention to Diana, who was on top of Shane. He couldn't believe what he saw. There was blood running down Diana's face, its origin hidden in her hair. Her left eye was bruised and partially swollen. In fact, her entire face was marred with bruises and fresh cuts. As his eyes swept over all of her wounds, of which there were many, he dared not think of all the ones he couldn't see hidden by her clothes.

"Daryl…" Diana murmured, slowly getting to her feet.

Daryl moved his crossbow back onto his back as he walked towards Diana. Her right arm swung unnaturally, and Daryl knew it was either broken or dislocated. Several fingers on that hand were bruised and swollen, at least two that Daryl could see.

"Diana…"

Daryl didn't know what to say. He was feeling so many emotions at once. Relief washed over him in waves seeing Diana alive. Rage pulsed through his veins seeing her countless injuries. Regret that he was not the one to kill Shane sat in his stomach like a heavy rock. He didn't know which emotion to express or deal with first. He was at a loss for words.

When Diana stumbled, Daryl instinctively reached out to steady her.

"I'm all right." Diana reassured Daryl, waving her hand a little too hard.

Daryl had no idea how Diana was still standing, but just after she had waved her hand, she was collapsing to the floor. Before she could fall to the ground, Daryl reached out to catch her. Diana fell into his arms and the bloody shears clattered to the floor. Daryl held Diana over his knee, looking down at her bruised and bloodied face.

"Diana…" Daryl murmured, lifting a quivering hand towards her face.

Daryl was afraid to touch her. He was afraid that his touch would hurt her. As his fingers barely brushed her cheekbone, Diana's head tilted heavily to the side.

"Corinne?" Daryl gently shook her in his arms. "Corinne!"

He didn't know if she was dead or not, but either way, he wasn't going to leave her in the barn with her torturer. Daryl lifted Diana up into his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder. As Daryl looked down at her face, looking for any sign of life in her, he leaned down to press his nose into her hair. Though he could smell the blood at her scalp, he also inhaled the scent she had once imprinted on his shirt. That was a good enough sign for him.

"Hold on, Corinne." Daryl murmured, carrying her limp body towards the open doors.


	20. Lies

**Lies**

**animebird16: **Me too! Here's your update!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Well, I couldn't just kill him within the first few chapters. Where would the excitement, suspense, and fun be in that? Daryl _was_ Diana's hero, even though he didn't kill Shane. Not only was he the one to find Diana, but he was willing to kill Shane without hesitation. That's enough for me. You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens with all of that. Here's your update!

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you so much! Here's your update!

**chellybobellyy: **I'm glad you thought so, and yes, me too.

**Leyshla Gisel: **You read my mind…

0o0o0

Daryl carried Diana swiftly towards the farmhouse, stopping for no one as he passed by camp. As he came up the steps, Diana suddenly began moving in Daryl's arms. At first, he though she was stirring because she had woken. Suddenly, her movement became violent. Her flailing became so strong that Daryl quickly laid her out on the front porch so that he wouldn't drop her. Diana's body thrashed on the porch, her dislocated arm flopping around with her other limbs.

"I need some help out here!" Daryl thundered, kneeling on the steps by Diana's body.

Daryl could feel a presence behind him as Hershel and Patricia quickly came out of the house. Hershel kneeled down beside Diana.

"Daryl, remove your shirt." Hershel instructed, snapping his fingers in Daryl's direction. "Quickly."

Daryl practically ripped off his shirt, throwing it at the old man.

"Everyone stay back." Hershel said, holding out his hand to whoever was behind Daryl.

Hershel carefully lifted Diana's head, setting the shirt beneath it. When it was under her, Hershel waved for Patricia to help him. Together, they gently tipped Diana onto her side. Her flailing was becoming less and less violent as the seconds ticked by.

As Daryl watched, he couldn't believe how intense the terror was gripping his heart. He didn't understand what was happening or why. There was nothing he could do to stop it. He was helpless, and he hated it. He couldn't watch anymore.

Without a word, Daryl got up and walked towards camp.

"Daryl!" Dale called after him.

Daryl ignored Dale as he headed towards his tent, far out from the others.

"Hold on, son!"

Daryl turned to see Dale following him.

"What do you want?" Daryl grumbled.

"What happened to Diana?" Dale asked, pointing back to the house with his thumb.

"Shane." Daryl snarled, thinking of the dead man in the barn.

Dale didn't seem surprised. He lowered his arm with a solemn look on his face.

"What are you doing out here?" Dale asked, holding his hands out. "Why did you leave Diana?"

"Hershel's takin' care of her." Daryl muttered, turning away from Dale to go to his tent.

"Hershel will heal and clean her injuries, but Diana will need a friend when she wakes up-"

"What do you know about it, old geezer?" Daryl snapped, whirling back around.

"I've seen you two together." Dale replied calmly. "I know you're friends, so why not go back and sit by her bedside? I'm sure it would mean the world to her if she woke up to a familiar face."

"Why don't you go sit by her bedside?" Daryl suggested.

Then, he really did leave Dale behind to go and be alone.

0o0o0

Daryl laid in his tent until high noon. Though his eyes were dry and irritated from having not slept, he hadn't fallen asleep after he went to his tent. He had just stared up at the sky through the ceiling of his tent, trying not to think about anything or anyone. He just focused on the clouds rolling by. It was getting cooler outside as summer was coming to an end. Daryl wondered how they would all fair during the fall and the winter. It would be a challenge, especially if they were confined to tents.

"Daryl?"

Daryl looked up to see Rick coming towards his tent. He rolled his eyes as he sat up.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"We need to talk about what happened to Diana." Rick said, his hands on his hips. "Would you mind coming out here and speaking with me about it?"

Daryl sighed, but he crawled out of his tent.

"What do you want to know?" Daryl asked.

Rick wiped a hand over his face, his other rubbed the back of his neck.

"Diana…she's in pretty bad shape." Rick looked up at Daryl. "Hershel did all he could, and he thinks she'll make a full recovery, but she…she suffered a great deal."

"What's your point?" Daryl snapped, trying to push images of Diana away.

"Dale says you told him Shane did that to Diana." Rick replied quietly. "Nobody can find him. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah." Daryl nodded.

"Where is he?" Rick asked.

"I'll take you to him." Daryl answered, waving his hand for Rick to follow.

As they walked together in the direction of the barn, Daryl thought about what was going to happen when Rick found out that Shane was dead. He wondered how Rick would react when he figured out that Diana was the one who killed Shane. Rick didn't know Diana like Daryl did.

"Shane's in here." Daryl said as he and Rick got to the barn.

As Daryl opened the barn doors, he was dumbfounded by the sight of Shane standing in the center of the barn, his back to him. Even after being stabbed by Diana, he was still alive. Daryl was just wondering why Shane hadn't come out of the barn when he suddenly turned. Shane hissed when his eyes landed on Daryl. He wasn't alive. He was a walker.

"Oh my god…" Rick breathed from behind Daryl.

Without a second thought, Daryl pulled his crossbow. As Shane staggered towards he and Rick, Daryl put a single arrow through Shane's head. He fell backwards to the barn floor.

"What…what…" Rick stumbled forward, staring down at Shane. "Why…?"

"That don't make no sense." Daryl muttered. "Why was he a walker? He didn't get bit."

Rick slowly looked up at Daryl.

"What happened here?" Rick asked, pointing down at Shane.

Daryl went to where Shane laid to retrieve his arrow. He had given it a lot of thought on the walk over to the barn. He knew exactly what he was going to tell Rick.

"Shane kidnapped Diana from her bedroom after everything that went down." Daryl explained, cleaning the arrow off. "He kept her here, tortured her, was gonna kill her. I found them."

Rick was gaping at Daryl as he spoke.

"I killed Shane." Daryl lied, protecting Diana. "I killed him to save her."

Rick slowly looked up at Daryl, his mouth hanging wide open.

"I don't understand…" Rick glanced back down at Shane's body. "What…what happened?"

"Rick, I just told you." Daryl replied slowly, watching the man carefully.

Rick circled Shane's body.

"Why would he do this?" Rick asked, looking up at Daryl with a bewildered expression. "Why?"

"You saw how he was at…"

Daryl realized that Rick was in complete and utter shock over Shane kidnapping and torturing Diana, Daryl killing him, and Shane reanimating though he hadn't been bitten. Nothing Daryl was going to say would click with Rick. He wasn't going to suddenly understand why Shane had become such a whackjob. He wasn't going to be okay with what happened.

"Let's take care of him." Daryl muttered, bending down to grab Shane's arms. "We're gonna have to tell everyone 'bout this, figure out why he turned-"

"No." Rick interrupted suddenly, causing Daryl to drop Shane's arms.

"Why the hell not?" Daryl asked, standing up straight. "He wasn't bit. That's a fuckin' problem."

Rick lowered his eyes, and Daryl could tell that he knew something.

"What?" Daryl asked warily.

Rick sighed.

"Jenner…"

"Jenner?" Daryl asked, lifting an eyebrow. "The doc from the CDC? What about him?"

"Jenner told me that…when we die…" Rick looked up at Daryl. "We'll all turn."

"What?" Daryl snapped, narrowing his eyes as he stalked towards Rick. "You knew that all along and you never said nothin'? Why the hell did you keep that from us?"

"I didn't want to cause a panic." Rick answered quickly. "I thought I was doing what was best."

"The others should know." Daryl said, pointing at the barn doors. "They got no idea-"

"I'll tell them when the time is right." Rick replied, taking a step towards Daryl. "After everything that has happened within the past few days, I don't feel comfortable making that announcement."

Daryl wanted to argue, but he thought maybe Rick was right.

"We still gotta take care of the body." Daryl grumbled, motioning to Shane.

"I'll go back to camp, let everyone know what happened." Rick murmured, walking towards the doors. "Start digging a grave. I'll be back to help you."

"I ain't diggin' a grave for this piece of shit." Daryl snarled.

"Shane Walsh was a man of the law and my best friend." Rick replied, turning around to face Daryl. "He was always there for me, always had my back before…all of this…"

Rick stared down at the ground.

"He deserves a proper burial, despite what this world changed him into, if only for the man he was before…"

Daryl watched Rick go. The moment he was gone, Daryl spit on Shane's body.

0o0o0

Daryl opted out of attending the gathering that took place around Shane's fresh grave. He was going to go to this tent, but then he saw Dale coming out of Hershel's house. He was curious as to why the old man was skipping out on Shane's service, but more curious as to what he had been doing inside of Hershel's home. Daryl caught him halfway through camp.

"What were you doin' in there?" Daryl asked without any kind of greeting.

Dale turned around.

"Anyone who went through what Diana went through should have someone by her bedside when she wakes up." Dale answered, adjusting the gun on his shoulder.

"Diana's awake?" Daryl asked, perking up.

"No, not yet." Dale shook his head. "Maggie is giving Diana a sponge bath now."

Daryl nodded.

"You should go in and see her." Dale spoke up when Daryl remained silent. "Hershel is keeping Beth in bed, though the girl is desperate to see her-"

"Whatever." Daryl mumbled, heading towards the farmhouse.

Instead of going inside through the front door, Daryl circled the house to the back. He peeked through one of the windows. Maggie was inside with Diana, sponging off her skin. Daryl couldn't see Diana from where he stood, but he could see Maggie as she worked gently over her.

"She hasn't woken yet."

Daryl spun around to see Hershel standing behind him, carrying a bucket in one hand.

"What…what was that…on the porch…?" Daryl asked, awkwardly fidgeting his hands.

"Walk with me, son." Hershel motioned with his head. "I have to feed the chickens."

Daryl watched Hershel walk towards the coop. He was unsure if he wanted to follow him, but when he glanced back and saw Maggie staring at him, Daryl decided to go. He caught up easily to the old man, holding onto his crossbow strap.

"There was bruising around Diana's neck, which indicates that she was strangled with something. A rope, perhaps?" Hershel said as Daryl walked beside him. "She was beaten about the face. She has the cuts and bruises to prove it."

Daryl was cringing inwardly with every word falling off Hershel's tongue. He knew what it was like to be beaten. He knew what it felt like to have a stronger person wail on your flesh and bones.

"There was a blow to the front of her head, by far the freshest wound-"

"I asked what happened on the porch." Daryl snapped suddenly.

Hershel turned his head to look at Daryl.

"I was getting to that." Hershel replied calmly. "When you are deprived of oxygen, cells in the brain begin to die. Cell death in the brain can affect the functions of the brain, both short term and long term. Along with the fact that Diana was strangled at least once, she also suffered a significant blow to the head, not including the beating her face took. All of those injuries can lead to seizures, which is what happened to Diana."

"Is she gonna be all right?" Daryl muttered as he and Hershel reached the coop.

"Well, the short answer is that I think she will." Hershel answered, heading into the coop.

Daryl listened to the old man feed the chickens inside.

"Okay." Daryl said, just loud enough for Hershel to hear. "Tell me."

Hershel came out from the coop, still holding the bucket. He stared at Daryl for several minutes before he finally answered him.

"Diana had a dislocated shoulder. That would have been easy enough to fix, but her rapid movement during the seizure made it more difficult to put back into place. I have her arm in a sling, which she will have to wear until she is able to get up on her own." Hershel explained. "Two of her fingers were broken, which I set and splinted. They'll heal in three or four weeks."

Daryl grit his teeth.

"What else?" Daryl asked.

"From what I could tell without undressing her completely, she has welts all over her body, most of them small." Hershel sighed. "She required stitches for the head laceration, but needed no other stitches. Also…"

"What?" Daryl asked when Hershel hesitated.

"Either needles or hairpins were inserted beneath three of her fingernails." Hershel replied quietly.

Daryl turned his head to look at the barn. Most everyone was gathered around Shane's grave. Daryl wanted to run to it, piss all over it, and then dig the bastard up to mutilate or disfigure. What he really wanted was for Shane to be alive. Daryl wanted to take out all of his anger and disgust on the person responsible for the ugly actions he wanted to be sick over.

"I found syringes in her bedroom." Hershel said, snapping Daryl out of his inner rage. "Do you know if they belonged to Shane?"

Daryl cursed himself for having not taken or hidden the needles.

"I don't know." Daryl shrugged. "Probably."

"I see." Hershel nodded. "I didn't think so since one of them was inside of Diana's pouch."

Daryl didn't know how to reply, so he just didn't. He and Hershel stared at each other for a while in complete silence. After a time, Hershel looked down at his bucket.

"Well, if you'd like to see Diana, you're more than welcome to." Hershel said.

"I don't…" Daryl shook his head.

Without another word, Daryl left Hershel behind at the coop. He started walking, but didn't quite know where he was going. He didn't want to go to camp. He didn't want to go into the house. He just wandered all over the farm, losing track of the day. Before he knew it, the sun was starting to set. Even then, he still didn't know where he should go. He let his feet carry him, and wasn't surprised when he ended up in front of Diana's windows.

Daryl looked into the room. There was no one inside, so he slowly climbed in through the window. He was surprised they weren't shut. It was starting to get cool, especially at night. So, Daryl shut the windows behind him. Each time he shut a window, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Diana hadn't woken. So far as he could tell, she hadn't stirred since he entered.

When the windows were shut, Daryl stood at the foot of Diana's bed for a long time. If it weren't for the flickering of her eyelashes or the way her chest moved when she breathed, she could have been dead. The bruise around her eye was deep purple, though the swelling had gone down some. Her cheekbone was bruised, too, and her jaw. There were two cuts on her lips, as well as a cut across her nose. Daryl could see the bruising around her neck. It looked like a rope or a wire of some kind had been wrapped as tight as it would go around her throat. Daryl fisted the footboard angrily.

Diana suddenly made a sound in her sleep, startling Daryl. He quickly kneeled down behind the footboard to hide himself, immediately feeling silly for doing so. He slowly stood back up. Diana was still asleep. She made the same sound again. It was a low whimper, something that surprised Daryl. He wasn't used to seeing her so vulnerable before. He wondered if the way he felt in that moment was the way Diana had felt about him when he was injured. Though he didn't experience the emotion often, Daryl felt pity for Diana. The only person who deserved the treatment she had received was the man who had tortured her.

Daryl slowly circled the bed, standing over Diana as she slept. He looked down at her, wondering if she would be the same when she woke. He remembered the way she had stood from Shane's dead body, broken and beaten, and insisted that she was all right. It almost made Daryl smile, but seeing her marred face, he couldn't bring himself too.

Instead, Daryl slowly leaned down to Diana's level. He felt a strange and sudden urge to brush his lips against her forehead, a concept so foreign to him that he wondered where it came from. He refused to give into that temptation, but did allow himself to bury his nose in her hair. Her scent was much stronger from before, in the barn. She was going to be all right. She was going to come back.

So that he could leave the windows shut, Daryl decided to leave through the front door. As he went to the bedroom door, he cast one last look at Diana. He felt somewhat better after seeing her for himself, knowing that Hershel had done everything he could. Daryl knew she was in good hands, and with that knowledge in mind, he left Diana to rest so that he could get a good night's sleep for himself.


	21. Strong

**Strong**

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you! I'm glad you think so!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Daryl will get there. You know how he is.

0o0o0

I could hear singing when I began to rouse from unconsciousness. I recognized the voice immediately, and kept my eyes closed so that I could enjoy the singing for a few more minutes. My heart swelled in my chest knowing that Beth was safe, and obviously had recovered from the state she had been in before. When I listened long enough, I slowly opened my eyes. Beth was sitting cross legged at the end of the bed, singing quietly while I slept. When she saw my eyes open, she stopped.

"You're awake." Beth said, immediately getting out of bed so that she could come stand at my side. "I'm so glad you're awake. I'm so glad."

"I'm glad to see you're awake, too." I replied softly, slowly sitting up.

"Let me help you." Beth said, moving forward to adjust the pillows behind me as I sat up against them.

"Why don't you sit down?" I asked, patting the bed.

"Shouldn't I get Daddy?" Beth asked, eyeing the door. "He'll want to see if you since-"

"Can't we have a few minutes?" I asked.

Beth sat down on the bed.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you woke up." I murmured, reaching out to grab Beth's hand. "It makes me happy that you were here when I opened my eyes. You're the one I wanted to see."

"Really?" Beth asked quietly.

"Of course." I replied with a gentle laugh. "Who else would I want by my side but you?"

"I thought maybe you would have wanted to see…" Beth shook her head with a small smile. "Nevermind. It isn't my business."

"What is it?" I asked, returning Beth's smile.

"I thought maybe…you would want Daryl here." Beth admitted shyly, glancing up at me. "He was here last night. I heard my daddy let him out of the house."

"Oh…" I looked to the door as if Daryl might walk through it. "I didn't know."

Suddenly, Beth reached for me. I could see tears shining in her eyes, so I reacted immediately. I wrapped my good arm around her, the one not in a sling, and pulled her in close. She rested her head over my heart, snuggling into me. I felt her silent tears seeping through my nightgown. It didn't matter. I was relieved that she was safe and sound, that Shane hadn't made good on his threat.

"Don't cry, Beth." I murmured, my cheek pressed to her hair. "We're together again. Everything is going to be just fine."

"It's just so horrible…" Beth whispered against me. "It's so horrible what happened to you…"

"You don't have to think about what happened to me." I replied softly. "I'm here with you now."

Beth nodded, but she continued to cry for several more minutes.

"I should really get Daddy." Beth sniffed, sitting up out of my hold. "He said he wanted to see you when you woke up."

"Okay." I gave Beth a smile. "I'll be here when you both get back."

I waited for Beth to return with Hershel, staring out the windows. It looked gray outside.

"Diana, how do you feel?" Hershel asked the moment he opened the door, doctor's bag in hand.

"I feel fine, considering." I replied, motioning to my sling. "Can I take this off?"

"If you feel that you don't need it, you may remove it." Hershel gave me a nod as he sat down on the edge of my bed. "I'll leave it with you, and should your arm feel sore or tired, you should wear it."

"I will." I promised, quickly pulling the sling off to free my arm.

"Put this in your mouth, under your tongue." Hershel instructed, pulling a glass thermometer out of his bag. "Your temperature has been normal, but I still would like to check it."

I put the thermometer in my mouth, giving Beth a silly face as she watched. She smiled.

"Now, can you tell me the last thing you remember?" Hershel asked, watching the clock on the nightstand as he took my pulse.

"Mhmm." I answered around the thermometer.

"Well, you can tell me in a moment." Hershel chuckled, releasing my wrist. "Let me see that."

I pulled the thermometer out and handed it over.

"Your temperature is normal." Hershel replied, handing it to Beth to sterilize. "Now, the last thing you remember, Diana?"

"I remember being in the barn." I said, playing the memory in my mind. "I was on top of Shane…"

I glanced up at Beth, remembering that she was present. I decided to skip a few details.

"Daryl came into the barn." I shrugged. "That's the last memory I have before waking up in bed."

"I don't want to alarm you, but I feel that I should tell you that you had a seizure." Hershel informed me, pulling a blood pressure cuff out of his bag. "It lasted only a minute or two, but nevertheless, seizures should be taken seriously."

I allowed Hershel to wrap the cuff around my arm.

"I'd like you to remain in bed for the remainder of the day and night." Hershel said, fitting the earpieces of his stethoscope into his ears. "If you can get through the next twenty four hours without an incident, I'll allow you to move around the house tomorrow."

"Yes, Doctor." I replied jokingly, giving Beth a wink as Hershel took my blood pressure.

"Are you experiencing any pain?" Hershel asked, taking the earpieces out.

"I just feel stiff and sore." I shrugged. "What I really want to do is get up and walk, but I promise to stay in bed until you give me the green light."

"Well, if you begin experiencing pain of any kind, let one of us know." Hershel said, getting up from the bed. "Patricia is making breakfast for you. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Thank you for taking care of me, Hershel." I replied with a kind smile.

"You're welcome." Hershel gave me a nod. "Beth, let Diana rest if that's what she needs to do."

"I will, Daddy." Beth promised.

When Hershel left, Beth got back in bed with me. Even though I should have been upset over what had happened in the barn, I couldn't help but smile. I had survived my ordeal, and was back to life on the farm with my Beth. I couldn't be angry or sad. I could only be grateful to Hershel and his family.

"Daddy is going to let the others move in." Beth said as we sat together in bed.

"What?" I asked.

"Daddy says that since Shane is…" Beth looked away from me when she said his name. "Daddy says there's no reason why the others can't share our house now that there isn't any danger."

"How do you feel about that?" I asked, stroking Beth's hair.

"I don't know." Beth shrugged. "I like them, I guess. Maggie and Glenn seem to really care about each other. If he makes her happy, that's all that matters to me."

"Maybe you'll make friends with them." I replied optimistically. "You never know."

"Maybe." Beth agreed with a nod. "They're going to move their things in today."

"Well, why don't you go give them a hand?" I suggested, taking my arm out from around Beth. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here when you're finished if you want to come and see me."

"I will." Beth said quickly, leaning away from me to get out of bed. "I'll come see you later."

"Okay." I replied.

Beth turned to give me a smile before going.

"I love you." Beth said, her face bright and shining.

"I love you too, Beth."

0o0o0

After scarfing down breakfast, I laid in bed resting. I could hear the sounds of people moving about in the house. I figured it was the group moving their things in and setting up camp inside. It was comforting to hear the sounds of a house stirring. It made me feel not so alone. The sounds reminded me that I was under a happy roof. It made me feel at ease, even after everything that had happened.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked, sitting up against the pillows.

"It's Lori." The voice answered. "Lori and Carol."

"Come in." I replied, running a hand through my unkempt hair.

Lori and Carol came into the bedroom. Lori tried to hide the shock that flew across her face, but I could see that my appearance startled her. Carol looked sad, but unfazed. I knew the look in her eyes without having to ask or hear the story. Carol knew all about violence and abuse, whether or not it happened to her personally, I didn't know. Either way, she was accustomed to seeing bruises.

"We…we came to see you." Lori said, plastering a smile to her face. "We wanted to see how you were doing."

"That was sweet of you both." I replied with a smile. "Please, come in. Have a seat anywhere."

Carol immediately sat down on the edge of my bed, taking my hand into hers. Lori, on the other hand, hovered awkwardly by the door. I was curious about her behavior. I didn't know if it was my face or Shane that was making her so uncomfortable.

"I…I wanted to apologize to you." Lori said suddenly, further confusing me. "Shane told me that you decided to go after the men to help bring Hershel home. I…I didn't know that he was lying-"

"Lori, there's no possible way that you could have known." I interrupted, waving my hand.

"I feel responsible for this. I-"

"That's nonsense." I shook my head. "That's complete nonsense."

"Lori, sit down." Carol told her friend gently.

"Right." Lori nodded, taking a seat in the armchair. "Of course."

"How are you feeling?" Carol asked, giving me a sad smile.

"I feel fine." I replied, giving her hand a squeeze. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

"It's amazing that you can be so cavalier about it." Lori shook her head. "Hershel told us, well, he told us the extent of your injuries."

"We were there to see your seizure." Carol held my hand tighter. "That must have been terrifying."

"I don't remember it." I said.

"I think it really upset Daryl." Lori said as she scratched the back of her head. "He kind of took off after Hershel and Patricia took over on the porch."

"Daryl was upset?" I asked. "Why?"

"I don't think he understood what was happening." Carol replied. "It must have scared him."

"Oh…" I looked down at my lap.

"I wouldn't worry about him." Lori said, waving her hand. "He's helping everyone bring their things in. Did you hear that Hershel opened his home to us?"

"Beth told me." I replied with a nod. "That must be a load off your shoulders."

"It really is." Lori agreed. "With the baby coming in the spring-"

"Baby?" I interrupted, my brow furrowing. "What baby?"

"Oh." Lori suddenly blushed. "Of course you wouldn't have known."

"Lori is pregnant." Carol told me with a smile.

"Really?" I asked. "Well, congratulations."

"Thank you." Lori smiled, but there was something troubling in her eyes.

"Would you like us to do anything for you?" Carol asked. "We could help you get changed, or clean up, or…whatever you would like."

"Thank you, but I think I'm okay for now." I replied, letting go of Carol's hand.

"Well, if you need anything, just let us know." Lori said, getting up from the chair.

"Rest up, Diana." Carol gave me a smile as she and Lori headed for the door.

"I'll be up and on my feet before you know it." I reassured the worried woman.

Though I had only been in the barn for two days and one night, I felt like I missed a lot. Lori was pregnant, which was going to be a challenge for her and her family. Luckily for her, Hershel had medical training. Hopefully, he would be able to deliver Lori's baby safely.

As I laid there thinking of what had happened while I had been in the barn, I felt my eyelids becoming heavy. Since there wasn't much for me to do anyways, I allowed sleep to take over.

0o0o0

I was aware of being awake before my eyes were open. Even in my drowsy state, I could sense a presence next to my bed. Assuming that it was Beth, I reached out to grab her hand. The hand I was holding onto felt rough and gritty. I moved my fingers into the palm, feeling the callouses. I knew whose hand I was holding before I even opened my eyes.

"Hi, Daryl." I said, slowly opening my eyes as I let go of his hand. "I was wondering when you were going to come and see me, while I was awake, that is."

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck with the hand I had been holding onto. He looked embarrassed that I had woken while he was in my room. He refused to meet my eyes, instead staring down at the floor.

"Why don't you sit down?" I asked, sitting up against my pillows. "You don't even have to sit on the bed if you don't want to. There's a comfy armchair over there-"

"Naw." Daryl shook his head, still looking down at the floor. "I should get back to helpin' out."

"I'm sure they won't miss you for a few minutes." I replied, motioning to the chair. "Sit down."

Daryl shuffled his feet, but after a few moments, he crossed the room to the chair. He didn't settle into it, make himself comfortable. He was rigid and on the edge of his seat.

"I'm glad you're here." I told him. "I wanted to say thank you for what you did for me."

"I didn't do nothin'." Daryl scoffed, looking at the wall. "You took care of yourself."

"I might have killed Shane without your help, but it was you who found me." I pointed out. "It was you who carried me to the house and got me medical attention. What if I would have seized alone in the barn? Something could have-"

"It was nothin'." Daryl insisted, fiddling with his hands.

"Is it the thanks and praise that's making you uncomfortable, or is it my face?" I asked.

Daryl suddenly glared at me.

"I can't believe you'd ask me that." Daryl snapped.

I wasn't surprised that the appearance of my wounds weren't making Daryl comfortable, but I was surprised by his sudden anger at my suggesting that it was. He seemed insulted that I would even consider that possibility, which certainly wasn't my intention.

"I'm sorry." I apologized calmly. "I didn't mean anything by it. You just seem…"

Daryl set his jaw.

"I'm sorry if my seizure scared you." I told him softly. "I would have been startled if it were the other way around. I've never seen someone have a seizure before."

"No you wouldn't have." Daryl snorted, shaking his head. "You would've been yourself."

"What does that mean?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You're always so cool and calm." Daryl answered, resting his elbow on the armrest. "Even when I've seen you get angry, you always reel it back in real quick."

"Well, you should have seen me in the barn." I replied. "I wasn't so cool and calm then."

Though Daryl had started to relax, he reverted back to his rigid posture when I mentioned the barn. It was then that it hit me. Daryl wasn't disgusted by my black and blue face. He didn't like seeing me displaying any form of vulnerability. He didn't like seeing me fragile and on bedrest. If anything, my wounds frightened him for a different reason than that they weren't aesthetically pleasing. Daryl didn't want any harm to come to me.

"I need to go." Daryl mumbled, getting to his feet.

"Before you go, will you do something for me?" I asked, motioning to Hershel's bag, which he had left behind. "Will you bring that here?"

Daryl picked up the bag and handed it to me, but I caught his hand.

"Sit down for just one minute." I told him, even though he sighed. "Just one more minute, then you can get back to lugging supplies inside. I promise."

Daryl rolled his eyes, but he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Close your eyes." I said, opening the bag.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Close your eyes." I repeated.

"Diana, this is stupid." Daryl grumbled, clearly uncomfortable not knowing what I was up to.

"Just close your eyes, otherwise I won't let you leave this bedroom." I replied sternly.

Daryl sighed, but he closed his eyes. I waved my hand in front of his face to make sure that his eyes were closed tightly. When I was satisfied, I reached into Hershel's bag. I pulled out his stethoscope, and carefully leaned forward to put the earpieces into Daryl's ears. He flinched when I did it, but he kept his eyes closed.

"What are you-"

"Shh." I shooshed him gently. "Just listen."

I lowered my nightgown so that I could press the bell of the stethoscope snuggly against my breastbone. The moment it touched my skin, the lines creasing Daryl's brow softened. His lips parted. I let him listen in silence for a minute before I spoke, keeping my voice soft.

"Hear that?" I asked. "Even though my body was broken and bruised, inside, I'm still the same. I'm still just as strong as I was before. I just need to take it easy for a little while, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shatter or crack. I'm still Diana…Corinne…"

I went to remove the bell from my chest, but as if sensing just that, Daryl's hand suddenly covered it. I moved my hand away so that he could hold it there, his fingers barely brushing my skin. I forgot how good his touch felt. I closed my eyes, reveling in his skin on mine. I could feel my heart beating more strongly than before.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Daryl studying my face. I leaned closer to him, glad when he began to do the same. I could feel his breath on my face as we came closer and closer together. I looked at his mouth, wanting more than anything to kiss his lips just once. He seemed to want the same thing.

A knock at the door interrupted our moment, followed by T-Dog bursting in.

"Oh…" T-Dog looked away from us, chuckling. "I didn't mean to interrupt you guys playing doctor, or anything, but Rick says he needs your help."

With that, T-Dog was gone just as quickly as he had come. I could hear him laughing outside.

Daryl pulled the earpieces out of his ears, his cheeks becoming pink with humiliation. He got up off the bed without a word.

"Daryl?"

Daryl paused in front of the door, but he didn't turn around.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Without turning around, Daryl nodded. Then, he was gone.


	22. Trying

**Trying**

**ScornedxRose: **Hahaha. I'm glad I got a laugh out of you!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **I know what that's like, to have a story make you feel better. I'm glad that my story gave you an escape for a while. Daryl gets a little loving below ;)

**r-qt3: **Thanks!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Thank you!

0o0o0

The next morning, I was up with the sun. I got quietly out of bed so that I didn't wake Beth, who had stayed with me all night. While she slept peacefully, I dressed. My right arm felt stiff, but I could move it just fine as long as I took my time. I was able to successfully dress myself, also without waking Beth. As I was getting ready to leave the bedroom, I saw my knives laid out on the nightstand. I had left them behind in Beth's room before the service, which is why I hadn't been able to keep Shane from taking me. I quickly snatched them up. I wouldn't make that same mistake twice.

I could hear the house stirring as I made my way to the front. Maggie was folding up a blanket in the front room. I figured she had given her bedroom to one of the others. When she sensed my presence, she turned around. She dropped the blanket on the couch.

"Good morning." I greeted her with a smile.

Maggie suddenly shook her head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I'm sorry." Maggie apologized, running a hand through her hair. "I just wasn't expecting to see you up so soon."

"I can't stay in bed." I replied, laying my hands on the couch in front of me. "I feel restless."

"My dad went out to feed the chickens." Maggie pointed to the door with her thumb. "He should be back in a few minutes. He'll want to look you over."

"I figured as much." I nodded.

Then, it was quiet. Maggie and I continued to look at each other though neither of us said a word. I knew there was something she wanted to say to me, but she didn't know how. I waited patiently, but before Maggie could summon the words she was trying to say, we were interrupted.

"Diana."

I looked to see Rick and Lori emerging. Rick was staring openly at my face.

"Good morning." I said to both of them, not at all bothered by Rick's stare.

"I…" Rick took a step towards me, but stopped.

Lori laid a hand on Rick's arm.

"I'm sorry for what happened…" Rick murmured, slowly looking up from the floor. "If I had any indication that…he was capable of something like this…"

"What's done is done." I replied, waving my hand. "We don't have to dwell on it anymore."

Rick clenched his jaw and gave me a single nod.

"Maggie, is Patricia in the kitchen?" Lori asked, circling her husband.

"She's making breakfast." Maggie answered, heading in that direction. "We can give her a hand."

Lori and Maggie made their way to the kitchen to help Patricia. Rick stood just outside the bedroom, gazing at the floor. He wanted to say more to me, but he had heard my words. I could almost see the guilt weighing him down. Even though I had warned him and the others about Shane, I didn't feel angry with any of them for what had happened. All of them seemed genuinely shocked by the lengths Shane had gone to in order to punish me. I couldn't fault them for something they had no idea was going to happen.

"Dad…"

Carl had just left the bedroom, but stopped when he saw me. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. He stared up at my face like I was one of the undead.

"What happened to you?" Carl asked.

"Carl." Rick scolded quietly, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"It's all right, Rick." I replied. "I had an accident out in the woods. I got banged up pretty good."

"Are you okay?" Carl asked.

"I'm going to be just fine." I assured him with a smile.

I looked to Rick, whose eyes had softened. He mouthed the words, 'thank you'. I nodded.

The front door opened then, and Hershel walked inside.

"Diana, you're up." Hershel said when he saw me. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel better now that I'm up and around." I said, stretching carefully.

"All the same, I'd like to have a look at you before I give you the okay to move about."

"Beth is sleeping in my room." I motioned to the back of the house. "Could we do this here?"

"I'll be right back." Hershel gave me a nod.

I settled into the couch facing away from the stairs. Rick took Carl outside. I could hear the ladies in the kitchen making breakfast. The house was much more alive with more people in it. With Shane gone, I almost didn't mind being so crowded. The urgency to get the group off the farm had gone the moment I had plunged those shears into Shane's chest.

Hershel returned with his bag. He gave me the thermometer while he checked my blood pressure. My temperature was normal. My blood pressure was at an acceptable level. Hershel checked my eyes with a small flashlight. Then, he began poking and prodding my wounds.

"How does your arm feel out of the sling?" Hershel asked, gently bending it.

"It feels a little stiff, but it doesn't hurt as long as I'm careful." I replied honestly.

Hershel met my eyes, searching them for any trace of dishonesty or pain.

"I don't mind if you're up and around as long as your promise me you'll take it easy." Hershel said when he realized I was telling him the truth. "I don't want you to be alone, either. We can't take any chances after your seizure."

"I understand." I nodded. "I'll find someone to take a walk with me."

Hershel glanced up above my head before putting his things back into his bag.

"I'm sure Daryl would be happy to oblige."

I turned my head to see Daryl leaned against a wall behind me. When our eyes met, he leaned away from the wall quickly. He unfolded his arms from his chest.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"Long enough." Daryl mumbled, making his way over to the couch.

"So, what do you say?" I asked. "Will you accompany me on a walk around the property?"

Daryl looked out the door, then back down at me. I thought he was going to say no, but he gave me a single nod. When I went to get up off the couch, Daryl offered me his hand. I was surprised by his turn around. It seemed like I had gotten through to him.

"Where to?" Daryl asked, holding the door open for me.

"Nowhere special." I replied.

As we started our walk, Daryl remained almost behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at him several times. It was as if he was my bodyguard. When we were away from the house, I turned completely around to face him. He stopped in his tracks.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Will you stop it?" I asked. "Shane is dead. He isn't going to suddenly spring back to life and come after me, so you don't have to be on your toes."

Daryl set his jaw.

"Even if he were still alive, I think I've proven that I can take care of myself." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Then why am I here?" Daryl asked, throwing his arms out.

"You heard what Hershel said." I said, motioning for Daryl to follow me. "Come on."

I continued walking. Eventually, Daryl caught up to me. Instead of walking behind me, he walked beside me. When his arm brushed mine, he jerked away from me. I rolled my eyes as I reached out for his arm. I looped mine through his. His body became rigid against mine as we walked. I looked up at his face. He was staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched tight.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" I asked sweetly, still looking up at his face.

Daryl looked down at me. When he saw the expression on my face, he looked away.

"Shut up." Daryl muttered.

I smiled as we walked, keeping my arm through his.

"So…where are you sleeping?" I asked.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Where are you staying in the house?" I asked, glancing up at Daryl's face.

"I slept on the front porch last night." Daryl mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Why?" I asked. "There's plenty of room inside."

"I was keepin' watch." Daryl replied.

"If that's your excuse…" I muttered under my breath with a sigh.

"What?" Daryl asked, pulling me to a halt. "What'd you say?"

"I know why you slept on the porch last night, and it isn't because you were keeping watch." I replied, looking up at Daryl's face as he glared down at me. "You're going to have to learn to live under the same roof as me because it looks like your group is here to stay."

Daryl looked away from me.

"Look, if what we have going on makes you uncomfortable, we can end it right now." I said with a shrug, gazing out over the farm. "We'll just be friends…if you're capable of having a friend."

When I looked back up at Daryl, he was looking at me. He looked confused.

"Did you hear me at all yesterday?" I asked.

The lines creasing Daryl's forehead faded as his eyes softened. He lifted his free hand. I could tell that it was shaking. He moved his trembling fingers towards me. I followed them to the skin showing before the buttons started on the blouse I was wearing. They barely touched my skin. I slowly looked back up at Daryl's face. His eyes were on his fingers.

"I…I heard you…" Daryl murmured, his eyes flickering up to meet mine.

I understood what Daryl was telling me. He was trying, but it was going to take some time.

"Okay." I gave Daryl a nod. "That's good."

Daryl's face suddenly became flush, and he immediately removed his fingers from my skin. He cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his head.

"There's somethin' I wanted to tell you 'bout." Daryl said as we started walking again.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Hershel found your syringes." Daryl replied. "He asked me 'bout them. I said they were probably Shane's, but he knows they aren't. He found one of them in your purse. He knows they're yours."

"Okay." I nodded. "I'll have to come up with a reason for having them in case he asks me."

As we walked, we came upon the barn. It honestly didn't bother me, but I could tell that it put Daryl on edge. I felt him pull me closer to him as we walked past it. When we walked by Shane's fresh grave, Daryl kicked the dirt up.

"Is Rick upset?" I asked.

"He's fucked up about it." Daryl replied, relaxing beside me as we headed away from the barn.

"How did he take it when he realized I killed him?" I asked.

Daryl paused for a moment. I furrowed my brow as I waited for him to answer me.

"Daryl?" I asked.

"I wasn't gonna tell you, but I guess I should so we got our stories straight." Daryl released my arm so that he could turn to face me. "I told Rick I killed Shane."

"What?" I asked. "Why would you do that?"

"'Cause Rick doesn't know you like I do." Daryl replied firmly. "I didn't want him, or the others, thinkin' things 'bout you or treatin' you different."

"You didn't have to lie for me." I said, putting my hands on my hips. "Your group already thinks that I'm strange and unhinged because of that day in front of the barn."

"I was tryin' to protect you." Daryl snapped, becoming aggravated.

"Okay." I put my hands up. "I understand."

Daryl wasn't used to being around a woman who didn't require his aid and rescue. His survival instincts were to protect himself and his people. He was getting used to treating me differently.

"I appreciate what you did." I told him softly, laying a hand on his.

Daryl's expression slowly returned to normal when he saw that I was genuine.

"Let's get back to the house." Daryl mumbled.

Daryl slowly held out his arm to me, but refused to look at me when he did. I looped mine through his with a smile. Together, we headed back up to the house. It was strange not seeing a campsite beneath the porch steps. My eyes fell on a lone tent. It was Shane's.

In that moment, I suddenly remembered him standing in my bedroom. I saw my bag in his hands.

"Daryl." I turned towards him. "Daryl, where's my bag?"

"What?" Daryl asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Where is my bag?" I asked, stressing each word.

As I glanced back at the house, I didn't require an answer anymore. Rick and Hershel were heading down the porch steps towards Daryl and I. Rick was holding my bag at his side. As everyone else in the house headed out after Rick and Hershel, I knew that my secret was out.


	23. God Is Going To Cut You Down

**God Is Going To Cut You Down**

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Rick has it all figured out!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Some people will surprise Diana, in good ways and in bad…

**ScornedxRose: **Shit just got real.

**LittleMeep: **Here's your update!

0o0o0

Daryl stepped in front of me as he too realized that Rick was holding the bag. I watched as he slipped one hand behind his back. He rested it on his crossbow. Even though he had lied for me, I was surprised to see him preparing to threaten Rick and the others for me. I wondered if it came down to it, if he would really injure or kill one of them. I didn't want it to come to that.

Rick slowed his pace, and I knew he was wondering the same thing I was. He held out one hand. Hershel had stopped at his side. He was trying to peer around Daryl to see me.

"Stay back." Daryl told Rick, his hand gripping his crossbow.

"I won't come any closer." Rick replied calmly, keeping his hand extended.

Lori abandoned her son on the porch to go to her husband.

"Rick-"

"Stay with Carl." Rick told his wife without turning around.

I looked up at Daryl as he stared down Rick. I looked to Rick, who was visibly trying to figure out what to do. Hershel continued trying to get a glimpse of me. The others were scattered behind Rick and Hershel, as well as on the porch. They were looking between Daryl and I and Rick and Hershel, waiting.

"Daryl…" I murmured, touching the hand on his crossbow.

"No." Daryl snapped.

"Daryl." I repeated myself.

I went to move out from behind him, but he swung his free arm out to keep me in place. I looked up at him. He was still keeping both eyes on Rick and Hershel.

"Daryl, I'm not going to have anyone hurt or killed because of me and my past." I murmured only for his ears. "They already know. There's no going back. Let me go and explain myself to them."

Daryl finally looked down at me.

"This isn't your fight." I told him gently. "This is my secret, and it's out of my hands."

Though he didn't lower his arm, he didn't stop me when I moved around it. I glanced back once at Daryl. He moved like he was going to come after me, but he stopped when our eyes met. His hand didn't leave the crossbow strapped to his back.

"Where did you find it?" I asked Rick when I finally turned back around.

"It was in Shane's tent." Rick replied, tearing his eyes from Daryl. "I found it when I was cleaning his things out."

I nodded.

"I remember seeing your pictures on the bulletin board at the station." Rick said. "Your real name is Corrine Crown. You've had five other aliases-"

"I have gone by nine names." I interrupted.

"Five that the police force knew about." Rick corrected himself.

I looked to Hershel, who was staring at me with disbelief plain as day on his face. It hurt.

"Hershel, I-"

"You've murdered people." Rick interrupted. "You killed Shane's brother, Jesse."

Hershel was watching my face, waiting for my answer.

"I did." I finally replied.

Rick turned his head to look at Hershel, who never broke eye contact with me.

"We need to discuss this with the group." Rick told him quietly. "We need to decide if she is at all a danger to us. Do you agree?"

"I…" Hershel glanced between Rick and I.

"For the sake of your daughters, you should keep Diana contained until we have a chance to decide what we're going to do."

"Contained?" Daryl suddenly snapped from behind me.

"Daryl, stop." I told him, catching him with my arm as he started forward.

"I'm not gonna let them chain you up like a goddamn animal!" Daryl shouted, glaring down at me.

"Daryl, do you understand what I just said?" Rick asked. "Diana isn't who she says she is."

I didn't know if Daryl's knowledge of my crimes would get him into any trouble. I didn't want to make things any worse for him.

"I'll go willingly." I told Rick before Daryl could reveal that he knew about me.

I quickly moved forward, holding my hands up to show him and the others that I was no danger to them.

"Do what you have to." I said to Rick.

I looked over at Hershel, who looked unsure of the events taking place. He was a kind man.

"Hershel, you have every right to be suspicious and angry with me for lying to you." I told him. "I just need you to know that I would never hurt you or your family."

I felt warm metal against my wrists, and looked down to see that Rick had cuffed me. I glanced back at Daryl to make sure that he was behaving. He was silently seething, his fists pumping at his sides. After a while, he looked away from me altogether. I could tell that he was trying to calm down.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot. I ducked instinctively. When there were no more gunshots, I looked up to see who had fired a bullet. To my surprise, it was Maggie. She was holding the sawed off shotgun I had used to guard the barn. She came down the porch steps, pointing the gun at Rick.

"Maggie, what are you doing?" Hershel asked, gaping as his daughter approached.

"You're not taking her anywhere." Maggie told Rick, holding the shotgun at her hip. "You're going to let Diana come back into the house where she belongs."

"Maggie, you don't seem to understand-"

"I understand." Maggie interrupted harshly. "I saw the pictures in that bag. They're all of criminals. She killed men who broke the law."

"Maggie-"

"Dad, how could you let them do this?" Maggie asked, looking at her father. "Shane killed Otis. He almost killed Diana. He threatened to kill Beth if Diana tried to call for help or escape from the barn. We let that man stay on our property, even after Diana told us what he did to Otis."

Hershel looked down at the ground.

"Diana isn't a danger to us." Maggie said, turning back to look at Rick. "She's a hero."

I felt my heart swell in my chest. Maggie knew the truth about me, but she was still accepting me. Even though I appreciated her help, I couldn't let her get into any trouble for me.

"Maggie, it's okay." I told her. "They just want to keep me away from all of you until you have a chance to talk things over. Nobody is getting hurt."

"You don't owe them anything." Maggie snapped. "This is still _our_ farm."

"Hershel?" Rick asked, keeping his hand on my cuffed wrists. "What do you want to do?"

Hershel looked from Maggie to Rick to me.

"Diana…" Hershel started, but then looked to Maggie. "You're right about Shane…which is why I think it's best to talk things over."

Maggie clenched her jaw.

"Come on, Diana." Rick murmured, tugging gently on my cuffs.

"This is horseshit!" Daryl called out after Rick and I, who was escorting me towards the stables.

0o0o0

I sat against the wall in the empty stall, listening to the horses around me. Rick enclosed me in the stall, promising that someone would be by to feed me and make sure that I was able to use a bathroom. I honestly didn't mind. I was finally getting the punishment that I deserved for lying to the Greene family. If it were the real world, I would be getting the needle instead of being put up in a horse stall.

"Diana?"

I looked up when I heard the voice. A moment later, Dale appeared.

"How are you doing in there?" Dale asked with a kind smile.

"I'm fine." I replied, lifting my cuffed wrists. "These don't feel that great, but that's what happens when you murder ten men, eleven counting Shane."

The smile disappeared from Dale's face.

"Sorry." I apologized sheepishly.

"I may not condone you taking justice into your own hands, but then again, that's why I don't support us keeping you locked up like a prisoner." Dale said.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We aren't a court of law." Dale replied, leaning against the stall door. "How can we convict you of crimes that we have very little proof of?"

"You have pictures of the so-called victims that were in my possession, pictures only the murderer could have taken." I snorted, looking up at the ceiling. "That's a slam dunk."

"In any case, we still don't have the authority to prosecute or convict you."

"Rick is just doing what he thinks is best." I replied.

"That may be, but this is no way to treat a fellow human being." Dale swept his hand over the stables. "This is a place for horses, not for a young woman, an _injured_ young woman at that."

"I'm fine." I insisted.

"Beth is very upset." Dale said suddenly.

In all of the chaos from before, I had forgotten Beth. I sat up straight.

"Dale, does Beth know-"

"She was there when Rick showed the pictures to Hershel." Dale interrupted.

My heart started to slowly sink down into my stomach.

"Patricia and Maggie made her lie down after Rick took you away." Dale told me. "As far as I know, she's sleeping."

"Beth…" I murmured, looking down at the floor.

"Daryl and Maggie are still very adamantly trying to have you released." Dale continued.

"How are they?" I asked, leaning my head back against the wall.

"Maggie is angry with her father and Rick." Dale replied, scratching the top of his head through his hat. "Daryl…well, you saw him earlier. He was willing to do anything to protect you."

"Will you do something for me?" I asked, thinking of the way Daryl had acted before.

"What is it?"

"Will you make sure Daryl doesn't do anything stupid?" I asked, meeting Dale's eyes. "I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"I can promise to look out for him, but I can't promise he'll listen to me." Dale shook his head. "I can guarantee you that he won't."

"He probably won't, but all the same, I want you to watch out for him." I replied.

"You won't be in here forever." Dale gave me a warm smile. "Rick wants to give everyone a chance to cool down and process what happened before we discuss your fate. We're going to have a discussion after dinner."

"Thank you for coming by to let me know what was happening." I told Dale gratefully.

"I was glad to." Dale gave me a nod. "Rick is going to send someone out with dinner later."

"All right."

"I…" Dale leaned away from the stall. "I'll be pulling for your release, Diana."

"Thank you." I replied quietly.

With that, I was alone in the stables again. I thought about Beth. I had been so focused on keeping Daryl from doing anything rash that I hadn't even noticed if she was on the porch or not when I admitted my deeds and was cuffed. I hoped she wasn't. Seeing those pictures was enough.

I banged my head against the wall behind me. I had never wanted Beth to find out about me. I never wanted her to see the gruesome crime scene photos. I wanted her to remain innocent and young. She had already been through so much with losing her mother and stepbrother. The last thing she needed was to lose someone else or see something else horrible.

I wondered what Beth thought of me. Daryl, Maggie, and Dale had surprised me by being accepting. I wondered if Beth would be able to find it in her good heart to forgive me.

As the sun began to set, the stables became dark. The evening air became chillier. I wrapped my arms around myself and tucked my legs up underneath Annette's skirt. I leaned against the corner of the stall, suddenly feeling tired. I let my eyes close and sleep take me.

0o0o0

I woke up to the sound of screaming in the distance. I jerked away from the corner I had fallen asleep in. There were multiple screams coming from somewhere on the property, both male and female. I couldn't decipher anyone's voice from the many I heard. The only thing I was sure of is that something terrible had happened.

I used my cuffed wrists against the wall to pull myself up. There were no windows in the stall. There was no way for me to see out of the stables. I was in the dark as to what was happening. I went to the stall door, trying to crane my neck to see out into the night. It was useless.

The shouting died down. I couldn't even imagine what had started it. Had someone been hurt? Killed? When Beth's face stuck in my mind, I began to worry that something had happened to her. I paced the stall, thoughts racing through my head of possible scenarios that had taken place.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. I jerked my head in the direction of the shot. There were no more.

"Hello?!" I called out from my stall. "Can someone hear me?! Hello?!"

I kicked at the stall door. It didn't budge. I kicked it a second time.

"Can anyone hear me?!" I shouted louder. "Someone tell me what's going on!"

"Diana!"

I heard Daryl's voice. He was close to the stables.

"Daryl!" I shouted back, coming to the stall door.

I watched Daryl emerge from the shadows outside as he jogged briskly into the stables. His pace slowed as he came to my stall. He had a pistol in one hand, his crossbow strapped to his back. He had been the one who fired the gun.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking from the gun to Daryl's face. "What happened?"

"Dale…" Daryl answered breathlessly. "Dale's dead."

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening. "How?"

"Walker got him." Daryl replied, catching his breath. "I had to put him down."

I stared down at the floor. I couldn't believe that Dale was dead. I had just spoken to him only hours before. When I looked up from the floor, I saw Daryl staring down at my handcuffed wrists. He wore the same enraged expression from before.

"Is everyone else okay?" I asked, trying to get his mind off my imprisonment.

Daryl nodded.

"Are _you_ okay?" I asked, reaching my wrists out towards him.

Daryl didn't answer, but he slowly laid his free hand over my skin where the handcuffs were irritating my already raw wrists.

"You're freezin'." Daryl murmured, taking his hand from my wrists as he put his gun away.

"I'm all right." I replied as I began to pull my hands back into the stall.

Daryl reached back out, taking my hands into his. He rubbed his calloused hands over my skin, trying to warm them with friction. I watched his face as he looked down at our hands together. His brow was wrinkled with determination as he rubbed my skin. He avoided the angry red rings and scabs around my wrists. After a while, his eyes flickered up to meet mine.

"You been fed?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Not yet." I answered just as quietly.

"I'm gonna bring you…" Daryl glanced back down at my cuffed wrists. "I'm gonna get you outta here."

"I know." I replied softly.

Daryl looked back up at me.

"Rick wouldn't let me come out here…to see you." Daryl told me as his fingers suddenly moved over the handcuffs. "He thought I'd try somethin', try to sneak you out or somethin'."

"Would you have?" I asked.

Daryl gave me a single nod.

"I'll be out of here by tomorrow." I reassured Daryl, lifting my cuffed wrists to his face. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm going to be just fine."

I ran my fingers along Daryl's stubble. His eyes watched my fingers carefully, as though I might sink my fingernails into his skin at any moment.

"Daryl."

I pulled my hands from Daryl's face as we both looked away in unison. Rick was standing in the stables, his hands on his hips. Beth was at his side, a tray in her hands. My heart leapt when I saw her. I could feel a smile pulling desperately at my mouth.

"Let's get back to the house." Rick said, nodding with his head.

Daryl looked back at me. His eyes moved down over my lips, then back up into my eyes. Some part of him wanted to kiss me, either to show Rick that he cared for me or simply because he wanted to. Even though somewhere deep down he wanted to kiss me, he didn't. Instead, he gave Rick a nod, and left me behind in the stall.

When Rick and Daryl were gone, Beth made her way slowly to where I stood.

"Beth…" I breathed with a smile. "I'm so glad to see you…"

I stopped when Beth looked down at the floor.

"Beth?"

"'You shall not kill', Exodus twenty thirteen." Beth murmured suddenly, looking up at me.

"Beth, let me explain-"

"Shane killed Otis." Beth cut me off, her quivering voice becoming louder. "Daryl killed Shane. You killed those men. You're all…you're all murderers."

My stomach started tying itself in knots. Beth didn't understand. She didn't want to forgive me.

"'And he that kills any man shall surely be put to death', Leviticus twenty-four seventeen." Beth set my tray down on the stall door without getting close. "Do you know what that means…Corrine?"

I looked Beth in the eye, waiting for her reply.

"God is going to…cut you down."


	24. Innocence or Guilt

**Innocence or Guilt**

**Leyshla Gisel: **I've always intended for Beth to utter that line.

**Love this fic: **I threw you a curveball, I guess. Thank you! Here's your update!

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **Of course she can't have both sisters on her side at once. Haha. Yes, Diana will always have Daryl. Here's your update!

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you! I wasn't exactly aiming for anti-climactic, but I definitely didn't want the group to treat Diana the same way they treated Randall. That would have been too much. There will be more about Diana's past coming up.

**jouetdedestin: **Me too!

**love-soaked-blood: **Thank you!

**LittleMeep: **Beth is young. What she saw really shocked her. Hopefully she'll come around…

**RedLil: **I'm sure you already figured this out, but I used that song title for my story title. Haha.

0o0o0

"Did you hear the news?"

Daryl looked away from the disassembled campsite to see Glenn standing on the porch.

"Diana is awake." Glenn said with a smile.

"So?" Daryl asked gruffly, though he could feel a weight float down off his shoulders.

"I thought you would want to know." Glenn replied, his smile fading. "Don't you care?"

Daryl gave Glenn a shrug before looking away from him.

"Well…Hershel says she can have visitors if she's up to it." Glenn muttered.

Daryl heard Glenn head back into the house. He watched the others taking down tents and packing up their belongings. The vehicles and Daryl's bike were moved closer to the house. The two groups were merging into one. Though he might have felt differently in his old life, there was safety and strength in numbers. It was about time that they joined forces with Hershel and his people. Now that Shane's hostile presence wasn't driving a wedge between the two groups, they were able to come together more easily. They would have a roof over their heads for the winter.

Daryl glanced back at the house. He watched Beth appear from the back of the house. Their eyes met. She gave Daryl a shy smile. Daryl knew how much Diana cared for the girl, so he lifted one side of his mouth into a half smile. Then, he turned back around to keep watch.

0o0o0

Later that day, when Rick took over for Daryl, he headed inside. Everyone else had set up their sleeping bags and blankets where they were going to sleep. Hershel had given up his bedroom for Rick, Lori, and Carl. Maggie gave her bedroom to Carol and Sophia. Beth had tried giving hers up too, but nobody wanted to take it from her. There were places set up in the front room and dining room. Daryl headed slowly through the house, scouting out an area he could have for himself. He still wanted to maintain some amount of space between himself and the others.

As Daryl moved to the back of the house, his eyes fell on Diana's bedroom door. He wondered if anyone was in with her. When he crept closer to the door, he slowly leaned his head against it, listening. He didn't hear any voices inside. He figured Diana was alone.

Daryl glanced back to make sure no one was coming. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he wrapped his hand around the doorknob. He hesitated before turning it. Only when he worked up the courage to open the door did he finally turn the knob. Very slowly, he pushed open the door. He peeked inside. Diana was in bed, her eyes closed. She was sleeping. It was his opportunity to look in on her without having to explain himself or feel embarrassed.

Daryl closed the door quietly behind him. Diana didn't move. She was curled up on her side, the covers pulled halfway over her. Daryl carefully tugged them up over her completely. Still, Diana remained still and sleeping beneath the blanket.

Diana's cuts and bruises looked even worse in the daylight, if that was possible. Though the swelling around her eye had gone down significantly, it was still colored a deep shade of purple. Even so, she looked like she had more life in her than she did before. Daryl could smell her scent from where he stood without having to lean down to her level. She was healing.

Daryl was so focused on Diana's facial wounds that he didn't see her splinted fingers move towards his. He was startled to suddenly feel them surrounding his. He looked down to see her hand gripping his gently. He felt her fingertips feeling the callouses on his palms. Diana was awake.

"Hi, Daryl." Diana murmured, releasing Daryl's hand. "I was wondering when you would come and see me, while I was awake, that is."

Daryl realized that Diana knew about him coming to see her the night before. He began to regret his decision to peek in on her as he felt Diana's eyes on his face. He didn't want to look her in the eye. He wanted to turn and leave her room without a word.

"Why don't you sit down? You don't even have to sit on the bed if you don't want to. There's a comfy armchair over there-"

"Naw. I should get back to helpin' out." Daryl interrupted.

"I'm sure they won't miss you for a few minutes. Sit down."

Daryl finally looked up from the floor. Diana was sitting up in bed, pointing to the armchair. When their eyes met, Daryl couldn't help but focus on the cuts and bruises marring her face. It wasn't because of how they made her look. It was because Daryl didn't think Diana was capable of being bruised. She wasn't like any other woman he knew. She was tough and smart. Daryl thought before what happened between her and Shane that she could do anything. He was beginning to realize that Diana bled just like Lori or Carol or Andrea. She could be injured, broken down. It was a tough pill to swallow.

Even though he was itching to leave, Daryl decided to sit in the chair. He figured he owed Diana a few minutes since he had failed to find her sooner.

"I'm glad you're here." Diana said when Daryl was seated. "I wanted to say thank you for what you did for me."

"I didn't do nothin'. You took care of yourself."

Daryl remembered Diana straddling Shane, bloody shears in her hands.

"I might have killed Shane without your help, but it was you who found me. It was you who carried me to the house and got me medical attention. What if I would have seized alone in the barn? Something could have-"

Daryl pictured Diana thrashing around on the front porch. He remembered the helplessness he had felt upon seeing her like that, knowing he could do nothing for her. He hated that feeling.

"It was nothin'." Daryl interrupted.

"Is it the thanks and praise that's making you uncomfortable, or is it my face?"

Daryl didn't know why Diana's question suddenly made him angry, but he glared at her all the same.

"I can't believe you'd ask me that." Daryl snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. You just seem…I'm sorry if my seizure scared you. I would have been startled if it were the other way around. I've never seen someone have a seizure before." Diana told him softly.

"No you wouldn't have. You would've been yourself." Daryl argued.

"What does that mean?"

"You're always so cool and calm. Even when I've seen you get angry, you always reel it back in real quick."

"Well, you should have seen me in the barn. I wasn't so cool and calm then."

Images of what had happened to Diana began to play in Daryl's mind. Even though he didn't want to, he imagined Shane sticking pins under Diana's fingernails while she lay bound and helpless. He imagined Shane tying a rope around her neck, pulling it tight enough to cut off her air. He could see Shane torturing Diana as though he had been there to see it with his own eyes. It put him on edge.

"I need to go." Daryl said suddenly, getting up.

"Before you go, will you do something for me? Will you bring that here?" Diana asked.

Daryl turned to see Hershel's bag sitting on the floor. He bent down to pick it up. When he took it to Diana, she caught Daryl by the hand.

"Sit down for just one minute. Just one more minute, then you can get back to lugging supplies inside. I promise." Diana said, holding onto Daryl's hand.

Daryl sat down on the bed, putting space between he and Diana.

"Close your eyes." Diana said.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Close your eyes."

"Diana, this is stupid." Daryl replied, becoming anxious as Diana fished through the bag.

"Just close your eyes, otherwise I won't let you leave this bedroom." Diana promised.

Though Daryl was confused and uncomfortable, he finally closed his eyes. If closing his eyes would get him out of Diana's bedroom, he would do it. He drummed his fingers anxiously against his knee as he waited for whatever Diana had in store for him. A few moments later, he felt something rubber being inserted into both his ears.

"What are you-"

"Shh. Just listen." Diana replied, her voice and his voice muffled.

Before Daryl could protest any further, his ears were suddenly filled with the same sound on both sides. It took Daryl only seconds to identify the sound. It was a heartbeat. Daryl didn't feel the same rhythm in his chest in his ears. He realized that he was hearing Diana's heart. With his eyes closed, he focused completely on the sound. He was surprised to hear such a strong sound coming from a woman, but especially from a wounded Diana.

"Hear that? Even though my body was broken and bruised, inside, I'm still the same. I'm still just as strong as I was before. I just need to take it easy for a little while, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shatter or crack. I'm still Diana…Corinne…"

Before he realized he was doing it, Daryl had leaned forward. With his fingers, he located the stethoscope on Diana's chest. He gently applied pressure, keeping it to her bare skin. He could feel the frills of her nightgown pulled down. His fingertips brushed Diana's skin. Then, the sound in Daryl's ears changed. The beats were more pronounced, stronger even.

Daryl opened his eyes to look at Diana's face. Her eyes were closed. As Daryl looked at her face, the sound of her heart in his ears, he wondered if it was any part of him that kept Diana strong. He liked to think that he was at least some piece of the puzzle.

Diana's eyes slowly opened. When she began to lean towards Daryl, he surprised himself by doing the same. As he got closer to her face, Daryl lifted his free hand to touch her cheek.

When a knock sounded at the door, and then it suddenly opened, Daryl pulled himself back.

"Oh…I didn't mean to interrupt you guys playing doctor, or anything, but Rick says he needs your help." T-Dog laughed from the doorway.

Daryl pulled the earpieces from his ears as he felt his face growing hot. He wanted to give T-Dog a good beating for coming into the room without waiting for a reply after his knock. Daryl felt like climbing out of one of Diana's windows so that no one would see him, but he remembered that Rick needed him. So, he got up to leave through the door.

"Daryl?" Diana asked from behind him.

Daryl waited in front of the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Daryl clenched his jaw and gave Diana a single nod before leaving her to rest.

As he made his way to the front of the house, Daryl could still hear T-Dog laughing. Daryl willed the blush in his cheeks to fade as he emerged from the back of the house. T-Dog was grinning from ear to ear with Glenn and Maggie in the front room.

"I didn't know Diana had _two_ doctors." T-Dog teased.

"How 'bout you learn some goddamn manners?" Daryl growled angrily. "Didn't your mama teach you not to burst into ladies' rooms without permission?"

T-Dog just shook his head with a chuckle.

"I thought you didn't care about seeing Diana." Glenn spoke up with a smile.

Before Daryl could growl at Glenn, Maggie spoke up on his behalf.

"Leave him alone, Glenn." Maggie told Glenn with a light shove.

Daryl was grateful to Maggie for sticking up for him. Before anything else could be said, he left the room to find Rick. He started his search outside.

0o0o0

After Dale relieved Daryl early the next morning, he went upstairs to shower. He hadn't taken one in days, and figured he might as well while the bathroom was free. He scrubbed himself all over to get the dirt, sweat, and stains off his skin. When he was finished, he towel dried his hair until it was no longer wet. After he dressed, he started down the stairs. When he got close to the bottom, he saw Diana sitting on the couch with her back to him. Hershel was sitting on the couch opposite her, holding a thermometer out for her to put in her mouth.

Daryl quietly descended the stairs. When neither Hershel nor Diana noticed his presence, Daryl slowly leaned against the wall behind Diana to watch as Hershel looked her over. Everything seemed to be in order, which was relieving for Daryl. He watched as Hershel rotated and bent her right arm, which had been dislocated in the barn.

"I don't mind if you're up and around as long as your promise me you'll take it easy. I don't want you to be alone, either. We can't take any chances after your seizure." Hershel said, concluding his examination of Diana's body.

"I understand. I'll find someone to take a walk with me." Diana replied.

Hershel suddenly met Daryl's eyes, and he knew what the old man was going to say before he even spoke.

"I'm sure Daryl would be happy to oblige."

Diana turned her head towards Daryl, who immediately leaned away from the wall.

"How long have you been standing there?" Diana asked.

"Long enough."

Daryl stood next to the couch, his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides.

"So, what do you say? Will you accompany me on a walk around the property?" Diana asked.

Daryl thought it over for a minute. He could hear the sounds of everyone else in the house moving around and talking. Daryl figured that if he was going to be around Diana at all, he would feel better about it if he was as far away from everyone as possible. He agreed to go on a walk with Diana, if only to put distance between himself and the others for a short time.

Diana moved to get up from the couch. Daryl's eyes ran over her splinted fingers, the arm that had swung so unnaturally when he found her in the barn. He reached his hand out to her, which she accepted without hesitation. He gently pulled her up, but then released her hand when she was on her feet. Even though so much had happened, the way Diana made Daryl feel stayed the same.

When they were outside, Daryl walked carefully behind Diana. He remembered what Hershel had said about not wanting Diana to be alone in case she had a second seizure. When Daryl thought of Diana's body throwing itself around on the porch, he kept both eyes glued to her from behind. He wanted to be prepared in case it were to happen again. He didn't want to be caught off guard a second time.

Suddenly, Diana turned.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Will you stop it?" Diana asked. "Shane is dead. He isn't going to suddenly spring back to life and come after me, so you don't have to be on your toes. Even if he were still alive, I think I've proven that I can take care of myself."

"Then why am I here?"

"You heard what Hershel said. Come on."

Daryl walked after Diana. He thought about staying behind her anyways, but decided against it. He didn't want Diana to think he was a worrier. He was beginning to fool himself into thinking that he had become a worrier. He needed to prove her wrong, almost as badly as he needed to prove himself wrong.

As they walked, Diana suddenly linked her arm with Daryl's.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" Diana asked.

Daryl looked down at Diana. She was grinning up at him.

"Shut up."

"So…where are you sleeping?" Diana asked, ignoring Daryl's grumpy reply.

"What?"

"Where are you staying in the house?"

"I slept on the front porch last night."

"Why? There's plenty of room inside."

"I was keepin' watch."

"If that's your excuse…"

"What? What'd you say?" Daryl asked, stopping to glare down at Diana.

"I know why you slept on the porch last night, and it isn't because you were keeping watch. You're going to have to learn to live under the same roof as me because it looks like your group is here to stay."

Daryl couldn't admit that Diana was right. He _had_ slept on the porch because he couldn't trust himself inside. Daryl knew he would have found his way back to Diana's bedroom. He thought about the rest of the group scattered throughout the house. They surely would have found out about his spending the night in Diana's bedroom. He couldn't have that.

"Look, if what we have going on makes you uncomfortable, we can end it right now. We'll just be friends…if you're capable of having a friend."

Daryl didn't understand why Diana thought Daryl wanted to end what they had. Even though it was strange and unconventional, it worked in some weird way. Daryl didn't want to end anything, he just didn't want to put a damn wedding band on Diana's finger. He still wanted to be himself. He didn't want to lose any piece of himself or become someone different within the group. He was their hunter and provider, and he liked it that way. He didn't want that role to change just because he and Diana had something more than friendship going on between them.

"Did you hear me at all yesterday?" Diana asked.

Daryl reached out to Diana. As he gently pressed his fingertips against Diana's skin, he could hear her heart beating in his head as though it was his ear against her chest instead of his fingers. He knew that wasn't what Diana meant, but to him, her words and the sound of her heart were the same to him. He didn't want to lose what he had with Diana, just like he didn't want to lose himself. He just needed to rearrange the pieces of his life to fit one more.

"I…I heard you…" Daryl finally answered.

"Okay. Good."

As he felt a blush beginning in his face, Daryl pulled his fingers back.

Daryl and Diana continued walking through Hershel's property. When Daryl felt Diana's arm becoming somewhat heavier in his, he steered them back towards the house. He knew Diana was still healing. She still needed to rest.

"Daryl. Daryl, where's my bag?" Diana asked suddenly, confusing Daryl.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Where is my bag?"

Daryl suddenly realized what Diana was asking about. She wanted to know where her bag of photos was. Daryl remembered not being able to find it in her bedroom. Before Daryl could reply, he followed Diana's gaze. Rick and Hershel were heading straight for them. When Daryl saw Diana's bag hanging from Rick's hand, he snapped into action quickly. He stepped in front of Diana protectively, moving one hand over his crossbow. He wasn't going to let Rick or anyone else near Diana until he knew that she was going to be safe.

"Stay back." Daryl told Rick when he felt he was close enough.

"I won't come any closer." Rick said, and Daryl believed him.

Lori tried to intervene.

"Rick-"

"Stay with Carl." Rick interrupted Lori.

Daryl kept his eyes on Rick even though he knew everyone else was on the front porch. He wasn't a talker. He was a doer. Other than putting an arrow through Rick's heart, Daryl didn't know what to say to get him to listen to Diana's side of the story. He was racking his brain for any ideas.

"Daryl…" Diana suddenly spoke up from behind Daryl.

Immediately, Daryl knew what Diana wanted.

"No." Daryl snarled, refusing to let Diana hand herself over.

"Daryl."

When Daryl saw Diana move out of the corner of his eye, he threw his arm out.

"Daryl, I'm not going to have anyone hurt or killed because of me and my past. They already know. There's no going back. Let me go and explain myself to them." Diana told him quietly.

Daryl tore his eyes away from Rick to look down at Diana. She was staring up at him.

"This isn't your fight. This is my secret, and it's out of my hands."

Daryl knew that if he wanted her to or not, Diana was going to go to Rick. He couldn't hold her back forever. So when Diana moved around Daryl's arm, he didn't stop her. When he saw her heading for Rick and Hershel, Daryl moved to go after her. He only stopped when Diana looked back at him. She didn't want his help. She didn't want him to get into trouble.

"Where did you find it?" Diana asked Rick.

"It was in Shane's tent. I found it when I was cleaning his things out. I remember seeing your pictures on the bulletin board at the station. Your real name is Corrine Crown. You've had five other aliases-"

"I have gone by nine names." Diana cut Rick off.

"Five that the police force knew about." Rick replied.

"Hershel, I-"

"You've murdered people. You killed Shane's brother, Jesse."

Daryl felt his crossbow under his hand. The conversation wasn't going how he hoped it would. It was going how he knew it would.

"I did." Diana admitted calmly.

Daryl saw Rick's mouth moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying to Hershel.

"For the sake of your daughters, you should keep Diana contained until we have a chance to decide what we're going to do." Rick said, just loud enough for Daryl to hear.

"Contained?" Daryl growled, starting forward.

"Daryl, stop." Diana told him, catching him with her arm before he could step past her.

"I'm not gonna let them chain you up like a goddamn animal!" Daryl yelled.

"Daryl, do you understand what I just said?" Rick asked. "Diana isn't who she says she is."

Daryl glared up at Rick.

"I'll go willingly." Diana suddenly spoke up.

Daryl watched as she held her hands in the air as if she was under arrest.

"Do what you have to."

Daryl watched as Rick reached into his back pocket while Diana spoke to Hershel. When Rick produced a set of handcuffs, Daryl curled his fists at his sides. He watched as Rick secured them around Diana's wrists, which were already rubbed raw from the rope Shane had tied her up with. Daryl could feel the anger rising in his gut. He couldn't stand to watch anymore.

When a gunshot sounded, Daryl pulled his crossbow. He aimed it first at Rick, but didn't see a pistol in the sheriff's hands. Daryl looked away to see Maggie coming towards Rick, Diana, and her dad. She was holding the same shotgun Diana had used to guard the barn. Daryl realized Maggie had fired the shot.

"Maggie, what are you doing?" Hershel asked his daughter.

"You're not taking her anywhere. You're going to let Diana come back into the house where she belongs." Maggie commanded Rick.

"Maggie, you don't seem to understand-"

"I understand. I saw the pictures in that bag. They're all of criminals. She killed men who broke the law."

"Maggie-"

"Dad, how could you let them do this?" Maggie asked her father. "Shane killed Otis. He almost killed Diana. He threatened to kill Beth if Diana tried to call for help or escape from the barn. We let that man stay on our property, even after Diana told us what he did to Otis. Diana isn't a danger to us. She's a hero."

Daryl felt a rush of relief. He had someone else on his side. Daryl looked to Hershel, who was staring down at the ground. Hershel would have to listen to Maggie. He would have to let Diana go.

"Maggie, it's okay." Diana said suddenly. "They just want to keep me away from all of you until you have a chance to talk things over. Nobody is getting hurt."

Daryl wanted to tell Diana to shut up, but Maggie spoke first.

"You don't owe them anything. This is still _our_ farm." Maggie replied angrily.

"Hershel? What do you want to do?" Rick asked.

"Diana…" Hershel looked at his daughter. "You're right about Shane…which is why I think it's best to talk things over."

Daryl couldn't believe that Hershel was going to listen to Rick over his own flesh and blood.

"Come on, Diana." Rick said.

"This is horseshit!" Daryl shouted after Rick and Diana.

0o0o0

After Dale was killed, his burial and service took precedence over Diana. T-Dog and Glenn dug Dale's grave the morning after he was killed. Selfishly, Daryl mourned the old man's death because he also opposed treating Diana like a criminal. Without Dale, Daryl knew only he and Maggie were vying for Diana to be released from the stables. Even Beth had turned her back on Diana, to both Daryl's and Maggie's surprise.

Daryl stayed out on the porch all that night, but Rick had kept an eye on him until morning. He was still convinced that Daryl would try to free Diana, especially after finding him in the stables after Dale was attacked by the walker.

Only after Dale was buried did Rick call for the meeting Daryl had been waiting for. Everyone settled down together in the living room. Only Beth was absent.

"Now…you've all had enough time to think things over." Rick said from the center of the room. "I want to know how everyone stands with Diana's presence on this farm. I'd also like to hear solutions should we agree that she can't stay here-"

"Solutions?" Maggie interrupted. "What solutions?"

"You talkin' 'bout killin' her?" Daryl asked from the corner of the room where he stood.

"I didn't say that." Rick replied calmly.

"What other solution is there?" Daryl asked, leaning away from the wall. "You gonna order her off the farm? Expect her to just leave and never come back?"

"That's a possibility." Andrea spoke up from the couch. "We could drive her out, leave her somewhere far enough away from here that she might not be able to find her way back."

"Do you really think Diana wouldn't be able to find her way back?" Lori asked.

"Hold it!" Maggie shouted suddenly.

"Maggie-"

"We haven't even come to a decision yet and you're already trying to figure out how we're going to get her out of our lives." Maggie interrupted her dad. "I want to know how everyone feels."

"We already know how everyone feels." Daryl grumbled. "They want her gone."

"That's enough." Rick snapped, throwing his hands out towards Daryl and Maggie. "We're going to have a discussion. Everyone will have a chance to speak up."

"Diana isn't a danger to us." Maggie spoke up first. "Like I said before, the men she killed were all criminals. They were probably murderers. She called Shane's brother a rapist and a murderer the day we buried Annette and Shawn. I'm willing to bet the others were rapists or murderers."

"We don't know that." Andrea argued.

"None of you have even asked her."

"There would be no way to check out her story."

"She told me everything." Daryl suddenly interjected, moving into the room.

"What?" Rick asked. "When was this?"

Daryl took a deep breath.

"When I found her bag." Daryl replied.

"You found her bag?" Lori asked.

"When did you find her bag?" Rick asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"'Cause I knew this was gonna happen." Daryl snapped.

"Daryl, the woman has dozens of photos of men she's murdered. What else are we supposed to think about her?" Andrea asked.

Daryl looked at Hershel.

"Has she ever once done anything to you or your family?" Daryl asked.

Hershel met Daryl's eyes.

"No." Hershel answered quietly.

"Exactly." Maggie said. "In fact, Diana endured Shane's torture to protect Beth."

"Diana cares 'bout your family." Daryl told Hershel softly. "She…she loves all of you…"

It was silent. Daryl looked around at all of the faces. Everyone was looking down at the floor.

"Hershel…" Patricia, who had been quiet until then, suddenly looked up. "Hershel, we have to let Diana out. We have to set her free."

"Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"I let that man…" Patricia looked away. "I let that man wear my husband's clothes."

When Patricia looked back up, there were tears in her eyes.

"I let the same man who murdered my husband wear his clothes." Patricia said tearfully. "Diana…she knew the truth. She avenged my Otis."

"Patricia, we don't know for sure that Shane killed Otis." Andrea said quietly.

"How dare you…" Maggie breathed angrily.

"You're an idiot if you really think that." Daryl growled. "Your little boyfriend killed Otis. Get over it."

"You unbelievable ass." Andrea snapped.

"That's enough!" Rick shouted. "We're here to discuss Diana's fate, not Shane's innocence or guilt."

"So it's all right for us to judge Diana for what she's done, but not Shane?" Maggie asked.

"This is bullshit." Daryl snarled, kicking the floor.

"Look, the point is that Diana killed Shane." Andrea said. "She accused him of murder, decided he was guilty, and killed him."

"Diana didn't kill Shane." Daryl snapped. "I did."

"Daryl…" Rick shook his head. "I don't think you did."

"Why's that?"

"Why didn't you use your crossbow?" Rick asked. "If you really killed Shane to save Diana, why did you use those shears instead of your crossbow?"

"What does it matter?!" Maggie cried in frustration. "Even if Diana killed Shane instead of Daryl, so what?! He tortured her and was going to murder her! Diana was protecting herself!"

"That may be true, Maggie, but what happens next time Diana feels one of us is a threat to Hershel, your, your sister, or Patricia?" Rick asked. "Is she going to hurt or kill one of us?"

"That's ridiculous!" Maggie shouted. "It's not even the same situation!"

"Calm down, Maggie." Hershel told his daughter gently.

"Maggie, can I ask you a question?" Rick asked. "You didn't seem to like Diana very much when we first got here. Why are you suddenly sticking up for her?"

Maggie clenched her jaw.

"I realized that my sights were set on the wrong person." Maggie muttered. "I should have been suspicious of Shane, not Diana. If I wouldn't have been so focused on her, I might have seen…"

Rick glanced over at T-Dog and Glenn.

"What do you two think?" Rick asked calmly.

"It freaked me out when I saw those pictures, but…" Glenn looked up at Daryl, then at Maggie. "I don't think Diana would ever hurt any of us. I trust Maggie's, and Daryl's, judgment."

"T?" Rick asked.

T-Dog slowly looked up from the floor.

"Maybe we should hear Diana's side." T-Dog answered quietly. "I don't want to make a decision about her until I've heard her story."

Rick nodded.

"Those of you who want to come to the stables are welcome to follow me." Rick announced, heading for the front door. "I think it's time we let Diana explain herself."


	25. Rocking Chair

**Rocking Chair**

**SeverusSnape'sLove: **I know what you mean. That's how I felt when Shane and the others wanted to kill the walkers in Hershel's barn. It really pissed me off when they killed the walkers. That wasn't their call.

**Guest: **I can see why you would think that, but I don't think it's going to happen.

**ScornedxRose: **Thank you, thank you! Here's your update!

**Leyshla Gisel: **Finally!

**Maddy-MarieXO: **Oh no! Don't hate Rick

**Guest: **Here's your update!

0o0o0

I was leaning heavily against the wall beside me when I heard footsteps in the stables. I looked up, waiting for whoever was coming to see me. Rick appeared in front of the stall door. He opened his mouth to speak, but then saw the untouched food on the tray.

"Are you feeling all right, Diana…Corinne?" Rick asked.

"I'm fine." I replied simply, sitting up straighter. "What can I do for you, Sheriff?"

"I…_we_…came to hear your version of things." Rick explained, his hands on his hips. "Do you feel up to talking about your crimes?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "Why not?"

Rick gave me a confused look, his brow wrinkling.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Rick, I'm fine." I repeated myself firmly. "Now, are you going to let me out?"

Rick gave me a nod before he opened the stall door. I started to get to my feet, but he was there to help me up by the elbow. Rick allowed me out of the stall first. Maggie and Daryl stood across the way in front of the opposite row of stalls. When I emerged, Daryl moved as if he was going to come to me. Maggie whispered something to him, and he stopped. Lori, Andrea, and Carol stood side by side, both with their arms folded over their chests. T-Dog and Glenn were leaned against the same stall door. Hershel and Patricia were just outside of the stall I had been in. Patricia gave me a warm smile.

"You look cold, honey." Patricia said, removing the sweater around her shoulders. "Why don't you put this on, Diana?"

I accepted the sweater. I tugged the sleeves over my arms.

"Thank you." I replied quietly.

"Would you prefer to go by Diana or Corinne?" Rick asked from behind me.

I turned towards him.

"Corinne is fine." I decided, leaving Diana behind.

"All right, Corinne, why don't you start from the beginning?" Rick suggested, leaning against the stall door. "Why did you start killing?"

I turned back around to face the rest of the group. They were all waiting for an explanation.

"My sister was murdered eleven years ago." I started my story, glancing from face to face. "When her murderer was released on bail, I took the law into my own hands. I shot him to death."

I walked past Rick, my back to the group.

"I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I took on a new name, colored my hair, and started a new life. That's when I met a formerly abused woman named Trisha. She taught me everything I know."

"Then what?" Rick asked.

I turned back around.

"I decided that if I couldn't go back to my old life, I would help others who were victimized. Trisha made me feel empowered and capable. Together, she and I killed her abusive ex-husband. After that, I couldn't stay in Las Vegas anymore. I had to assume a new identity, move to a new city…"

I gazed out of the stables and into the sunlight.

"Rachel Glass." I murmured, thinking of my third identity. "As Rachel Glass, I started hanging out in seedy bars in Phoenix, Arizona. Eventually, I got a job waiting tables in a place called Sal's. While I was working there, I got to know the locals. In particular, I got to know a man called Esteban."

I saw the drunken man's face in my head, the constant sorrow in his eyes.

"Two years before, Esteban's twelve year old daughter had been killed by a drunk driver. The driver, Mark Hollis, had a rich daddy. So, even though Mark had a record of driving drunk, his rich daddy was able to make the charges disappear. There was no justice for Esteban's daughter, Julia…not until I was through with him…"

I could see Mark's surprised face plain as day when I plunged the needle into his arm. The array of drugs laid out on the nearby table would serve as an excellent cover. The police would call Mark's death a tragic accident.

"After that, I was Lucy Shepherd." I looked at Rick. "The police connected her to Corinne because of…vomit I missed at the crime scene. You and I both know who Lucy's victim was."

"We don't." Andrea suddenly piped up.

"Victor Channing." I replied, meeting Andrea's eyes. "He was convicted of three rapes, but was released after only six months of jail time on a technicality. One of his victims was seven years old."

Andrea looked away from me.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the sickening feeling in my gut after letting Victor touch me all over. I couldn't hold back. I vomited in Victor's toilet after I was through with him, only I forgot to flush the evidence. The crime lab had it tested. The DNA matched Corinne Crown's.

"Taylor Vaughn came next-"

"I can't hear any more of this." Carol interrupted me suddenly, her hand raised. "I can't."

"You can leave if you need to." Rick replied softly.

Carol headed out of the barn, Lori hot on her heels. I watched them leave.

"Are all of your stories like this?" Glenn asked, leaning away from the stall door.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"I don't need to hear anymore either." Glenn shook his head. "I believe you."

I gave Glenn an appreciative nod.

"What about you, Hershel?" Rick asked, turning to Hershel.

"I've heard enough." Hershel said immediately, slowly walking towards me. "I believe that you would never do anything to hurt my daughters, Patricia, or myself."

"Good." I replied softly.

"If I agree to welcome you back, I need you to promise me something."

"What?" I asked.

"I need you to promise me that those days are behind you." Hershel put his hands on his hips. "I need you to look me in the eye and swear that your days of killing are over."

I looked up into Hershel's eyes.

"I promise that I will never kill again." I swore without hesitation.

Hershel nodded.

"Let's get back to the house." Hershel said, turning around to face the others. "This is finished."

I remained in place, watching Hershel go with the others. I could see Maggie approaching me out of the corner of my eye. I felt her hand wrapping around my wrist moments later.

"Corinne?" Maggie asked, her other hand touching my cheek. "You feel warm…"

"Do I?" I asked halfheartedly.

"You're running a fever." Maggie replied, feeling my other cheek. "You shouldn't have had to stay in the stables overnight. It's no wonder you caught cold."

I looked away from Hershel as he left the barn with Patricia. Maggie was motioning for Daryl, who immediately came over.

"Corinne is sick." Maggie told Daryl, releasing my wrist. "Take her up to the house."

Daryl went to pick me up, but I put my hand out.

"That isn't necessary." I mumbled, taking a step back. "I can walk up to the house myself."

"Corinne, please let Daryl help you." Maggie murmured, touching my shoulder.

"Why?" I asked. "I don't deserve his help."

"What?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brow. "What're you talkin' 'bout? You gettin' cold feet 'bout what you done 'cause Rick and the others freaked out? Well, you ain't gotta."

"He's right, Corinne." Maggie agreed.

"How can you agree with him?" I asked, looking at Maggie. "I hurt your sister. My actions and the revelation of my actions have hurt Beth. How can you support me?"

"Beth will come around." Maggie reassured me.

"Beth…" I shook my head. "She won't come around. She's not going to forgive me…"

I swayed to the left, but Daryl was there to block me with his body. He wrapped both arms around me, swiftly pulling me up into his arms. I didn't try to fight him or stop him. I was remembering the look on Beth's face when she brought me the tray of food. I was hearing her words in my head.

"I'll get up to the house to start a bath." Maggie said, already jogging ahead of Daryl and I.

"I should've brought you a blanket last night." Daryl muttered as he carried me out of the stables. "Rick be damned, I should've made sure you was warm-"

"It doesn't matter." I mumbled against Daryl's shoulder. "Beth said that God was going to cut me down."

"What?" Daryl asked, looking down at me. "What'd she say?"

"Maybe she was right." I closed my eyes. "I should have died in the barn…"

"What'd you just say?" Daryl snapped, shaking me in his arms.

I opened my eyes to look up at his face. He was glaring down at me, waiting for an answer.

"What happened to everything you said before?" Daryl asked angrily. "What happened to the girl who said she was strong? What happened to all that?"

I didn't know what to say. I felt only numbness at the possibility of Beth hating me forever. I didn't say a word. Neither did Daryl. He carried me into the house and up the stairs. Once he set me down on my feet inside of the bathroom with Maggie, he was gone. He slammed the door behind him.

0o0o0

After a hot bath, I felt better. I sat on the couch, a heavy blanket wrapped around my shoulders, while Maggie laid on the couch across from me. Even if she hadn't been yawning every few minutes, I would have been able to tell that she was tired.

"Why don't you go to sleep, Maggie?" I suggested.

"I'm all right." Maggie insisted mid yawn.

"You don't have to stay up on my account." I replied with a smile when Maggie yawned again. "Take a nap for an hour or two. You won't miss anything."

"I don't know." Maggie mumbled tiredly. "I just might."

I watched Maggie's eyes close. They stayed that way, and soon, I could tell she was fast asleep. I looked into the kitchen, where Patricia, Lori, and Carol were preparing lunch. Carol happened to glance over at me while I was looking. The corners of my mouth started to turn up into a smile, but stopped when Carol abruptly looked away from me. I sighed.

I got up from the couch, keeping the blanket around me as I quietly slipped out of the house. I sat down in one of the rockers. It was nice to be outside where I wasn't surrounded by people who were uncomfortable with my presence or wanted me gone. Before the groups merged, I didn't care what Rick and the others thought of me. If we were all going to stick together, though, I wanted everything to be as smooth and cohesive as possible. It didn't look like that was going to happen.

"What're you doin' out here?"

I turned to see Daryl circling around the corner of the house towards me.

"I needed some air." I replied, leaning back against the chair as I rocked.

Daryl leaned back against the railing in front of me. He folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." I murmured, looking down at the porch. "I was just feeling sorry for myself."

Daryl grunted.

"Why do you care what they think?" Daryl muttered.

I looked up at Daryl.

"You're here to stay." I replied quietly. "We all have to learn to get along, or else next time, I might not be welcomed back into the house so easily or at all."

"That's never gonna happen." Daryl scoffed, shaking his head.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"We'd leave before it came to that." Daryl said, glancing behind him for a moment.

"We?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What do you mean we?"

"You…me…" Daryl looked quickly down at the porch. "Anyone else who wanted to come…"

I lifted one side of my mouth into a half smile.

"You would leave all of this behind for me?" I asked.

"It wouldn't be that big of a deal." Daryl mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've lived off the land before. I could do it again. It wouldn't be hard."

I nodded, closing my eyes as I continued to rock in the chair. As I used my feet to rock the chair back and forth, I suddenly felt a hand adjusting the blanket around my shoulders. I didn't feel the need to open my eyes. I knew who it was. I felt comfortable enough remaining as I was. I didn't miss a step or sway the rhythm I was keeping with my feet.

Even when the hands were suddenly lifting me off the chair, I didn't open my eyes. It was a strange feeling, to be so willingly vulnerable with a man. I kept my eyes shut as Daryl settled into the rocking chair with me in his lap. I kept my head comfortably against his shoulder. I didn't want to open my eyes because I didn't need to, but I also didn't want to end or ruin the moment. I didn't know how long it would last and I wanted to enjoy it while it did.

I felt Daryl's face against mine.

"I…" Daryl whispered into my ear. "I'd leave…for you…"

I nestled closer into Daryl's shoulder, but kept my eyes closed.

"I know." I whispered back.

Daryl lifted his head from my ear, but kept his face against mine. I felt his nose in my hair. After a few moments, he rested his head against mine. Then, he was rocking us in the chair. I opened my eyes for only a few seconds to watch his feet as he kept a steady rhythm as we rocked together.


End file.
